They Are A Fish

Though the rays, do not look similar to fishes, they are a part of their family only. These organisms differ from other fishes in their structure and physical appearance but are all classified under a single family head named elasmobranchs. They are found in tropical and subtropical coastal marine water.

Similar To Sharks

Stingrays are often mistaken to be from shark family, however, these are two different species who share certain similar physical traits. They both belong to a cartilaginous fish family. Similar to sharks, they don’t have bones but support cartilages. They have sensors which help them in smelling their preys.

100 Million Years Ago

Stingrays are not a new discovery. Rather they have evolved around 150 million years back. While the majority of species of rays were found some 100 million years back. Another fact, since stingrays are boneless creatures, one cannot locate their fossils but they were located using their leftover scales and teeth.

Their Venom Is Used

The stingray’s venom is often termed as deadly. However, until a human comes in direct contact with it via his chest or stomach the venom is not that dangerous. Rather in ancient time, people extracted stingrays venom to be used as an anesthetic. Often, dentists used these.

Weighs Up to 800 Pounds

Stingrays huge flattened body can weigh up to 800 pounds. They are large beings and grow around 14-feet in length. One of the largest and heaviest fish to be ever captured was from Thailand and was found in Mae Klong River. It weighed between 600-800 pounds and grew 14-foot.

Eyes On Top

People often mistake a stingray’s gills for its eyes. Stingrays have eyes on the upper side of their body, while on the surface underneath they have gills and nose. Eyes are on the top so that they can easily hunt for their food. While hiding in sand their eyes remain on the surface while the entire body is concealed in the sand.