![]() ![]() Water is taken in through the spiracles, passed over the gills, and expelled through the gill slits on the underside of the body. The first gill slits of these rays have evolved to form their spiracles which are used as intake valves. In contrast, when a predator looks up from below, the white ventral or bottom side of the ray blends into the light coming from the surface of the water. Viewed from above by a predator, a ray’s dark dorsal or top side blends into the dark ocean depths. Adaptationīat rays’ countershading, a form of camouflage, protects them from predators above and below. Then they may swim off with explosive speed. If disturbed when hidden in the sand, they often emerge from cover to prop themselves on the tips of their pectoral fins with back arched in a ready-to-launch position. Solitary except when in large aggregations to feed or mate, bat rays often bury in the sand with only their eyes and moving spiracles visible. The spines harden and the natal sheath is discarded soon after birth. The spines of the pup emerging from the birth canal are pliable and encased in tough sheaths, preventing injury to the female during birthing. They emerge tail first with their pectoral fins wrapped around the body. A courting male swims in a synchronized movement below the belly of a receptive female and using spines above his eyes to maintain his position, inserts one clasper into the female to deposit his sperm.Īfter a nine- to twelve-month gestation period, two to ten pups that are 23-30 cm (9-12 in) wide are born live. ![]() During breeding season, bat rays come together in large aggregations with mating taking place in the late afternoon. Reproductionįemales mature when five to seven years old and a width of about 90 cm (3 ft) and males at two to four years. Then, they spit out the entire animal and selectively pick out only the flesh to eat. Once food is found, they plow it out with their heads and crush it with their plate-like teeth. They explore the sandy bottom for prey by balancing on their pectoral fins and pumping their body up and down to create large depressions in the substrate. They feed on small bony fishes, snails, worms, shrimps, clams, abalone, and crabs. They can grow to 1.8 m (6 ft) in width and to a weight of 95 kg (210 lb). These rays are brown to olive or almost black in color on the dorsal or top side and white on the bottom. Two claspers used for mating are located on the underside of the base of the male’s tail. It contains broad, flat, fused teeth that form grinding plates. Like most other rays, the mouth of bat rays is located on the ventral (bottom) side. They have pointed pectoral fins resembling wings. Their long, whip-like tail has a small dorsal fin near its base and up to five venomous spines. There is a hole called a spiracle behind each eye. ![]() Their raised head is partially distinct from their body with a broad, rounded, heavy jawed snout that has a projecting plow-like lobe. Physical Characteristicsīat rays have a flattened, triangular shaped body that is wider than long. Oregon to the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) Habitatīottom dwellers, they live on shallow, sandy, or mud bottoms from shallows to depths of 50 m (165 ft). These rays live in the Aquarium’s Ray Touch Pool. CLIMATE CHANGE: Not Applicable At the Aquarium ![]()
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