Ray ID Mini-guide
There are far too many species to go over all of them, but here are some of the more common and popular so that you might be able to identify the next ray you see.
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Stingrays
While the order that includes mantas, eagle rays, and others is commonly referred to as 'Stingrays', there are individual species named the same. Most people think of stingrays as the rays with venomous, barbed tails, like the one shown here - the common stingray.
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Blutespotted Ribbontail Ray
Rarely getting larger than a foot in width, this tiny but beautiful ray can still pack quite a punch. It has venomous tail spines that can cause injury and extreme pain if it feels threatened. It can be found all over the Indo-Pacific and is much more active at night than during the day.
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Electric Ray
The electric rays are a group of nearly 70 species of rays that can generate 8 - 220 volts, enough to stun an adult human. They generally have rounded heads, rounded fins, and lack a barbed tail. They're slow moving rays, using only their tails to swim.
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Spotted Eagle Ray
The eagle ray family is large, but when most people think of eagle rays they picture the spotted eagle ray, which is easily identified by the white spots found on its topside and their flat snouts that resemble a duck's bill. They have a much longer tail than most rays, and it is barbed with venomous stingers.
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Manta Ray
This ray really needs no introduction but it would be impossible to have a list of popular and common rays and not include the incredible manta. In the family of eagle rays and in same subfamily as the mobula, this pelagic is the largest of the rays and lacks any venom in the vestigial barb on its tail.
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Mobula Ray
The mobula is known for breaching - sometimes called flying - and bears the name 'devil ray'. Since it's in the same subfamily as the manta, they are often mistaken for each other. The easiest way to tell them apart are the cephalic fins. On the manta, they're long and paddle-like, forming a large funnel for feeding. On the mobula, they're smaller and most often rolled tightly, giving the appearance of horns - hence the name 'devil ray'.
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Butterfly Ray
Found in warmer waters across the world, the butterfly ray has a very broad disc and, unlike most rays, the pectoral fins merge in front of the head instead of behind. Their tails are also very short and thin, but the rays themselves can range in size from one foot in length to 13 feet.
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Cownose Ray
Another type of eagle ray, the cownose ray is named for its unusually shaped nose, broad head and wide set eyes. They're found in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, and their tail does have a venomous barb.
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Guitarfish
While they are actually rays, guitarfish have a body that seems to be a fusion of sharks and rays. Their heads are triangular shaped and flattened like rays, but their bodies resemble that of a shark. Guitarfish are often found in large schools.
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Sawfish
Similar to the guitarfish in the sense that it seems a mixture of shark and ray, the sawfish has an easily identifiable long, flattened rostrum lined with sharp teeth. They can grow to 23 feet in length and while they resemble sawsharks, there are two easy ways to tell the difference. Their gills are on the underside while the sawshark's gills are the sides of their heads, and sawsharks have barbels halfway down their rostrum.
