Some species generate a suction force that pulls the prey beneath. The manta’s mouth is in the front of its body and filter-feeds on plankton.Ī stingray searches on the bottom for food as its mouth is underneath. A fully grown stingray is about 6 feet (2m) which compares to a “teenager” sized manta. Differences based on sizeĪ mature female reef manta is 12-14 feet (4-5m) fin tip to fin tip. In comparison, there are over 100 different stingray species. There are only 2 different species of mantas (alfredi and birostris). Mantas and stingrays are relatives and belong to the same subclass Elasmobranchii (shark, rays and skates). Let’s dive a little deeper into this topic to clear up any confusion by comparing the beautiful mantas to stingrays based on their species, size, diet and more. Steve Irwin was a great and colorful Australian conservationist who died too young. It was a fatal wound with a dagger-like stinger, and apparently, the death was almost instantaneous. Steve Irwin died in 2006 after he accidentally got stung directly into the heart by a short-tail stingray. The answer is: “No, he was not killed by a manta ray!” This story was originally posted in December 2016.Before the manta activity starts, that is one of the most frequently asked questions we get about manta rays vs stingrays. To learn more about some of SA’s marine life, check out our stories about baby marine animals, octopuses, and other weird-looking sea creatures. Rays usually come in to feed with a rising tide and leave behind a circular footprint once they have finished.When feeding and resting, stingrays bury their bodies in the sand but leave the barb out to protect themselves from predators.Rays are slimy because they are covered in a mucous layer that helps protect them from disease and wound infection.Some rays have highly adapted eyes and can actually see colour.Some rays swim by oscillating their body to move forward, while others flap their pectoral fins and appear to be flying underwater.Stingrays can breathe while feeding thanks to spiracles – vestigial gill slits behind their eyes.Males have two elongated appendages known as claspers whereas females don’t have these. The difference between male and females is their pelvic fins.Stingrays have been around longer than dinosaurs. SA’s marine parks are top spots to see stingrays, especially at Coffin Bay within Thorny Passage Marine Park, Encounter Marine Park and at Neptune Islands Marine Park, as well as the shallow waters of Barker Inlet in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. The most popular species spotted in South Australian waters are the smooth ray, southern eagle ray, southern fiddler ray and coastal stingaree. There are about 630 species of rays worldwide. If a stingray does accidentally sting you, pour hot water over the sting to ease the pain and follow first aid advice. Place your feet firmly on the ground and slide your feet slowly through the sand, which will safely encourage any rays to move away. So keep your eyes peeled or try the stingray shuffle. If you accidentally step on a ray, the frightened fish can flip up its tail and sting you with its barb. Summertime beach walk on your mind? On your next stroll be careful of rays feeding and resting in warm shallow waters. Never threaten or corner a ray, and always keep an eye out for their tail – and never touch the barb on the end of it. So take lots of photos and enjoy watching them gliding through the water – but from afar. They are curious and playful animals when there are divers and snorkellers around, and if they feel threatened their first instinct is to swim away.īut as with all marine life, people must respect stingrays’ personal space. Fear has been instilled in people since the tragic death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin in 2006, but it is actually rare to die from a ray injury. The oddly adorable stingray is misunderstood by many.
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