FaunaHub

Ray

FishCartilaginousMarine

A pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) gliding through open blue water.

Pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea).

Image: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Rays are flattened, cartilaginous fish in the group known as batoids, closely related to sharks. The group includes stingrays, manta rays, skates, electric rays, and sawfish, with hundreds of species. This page is a group-level overview; a stingray is used as a familiar reference. Like sharks, rays have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone, and most have a distinctive disc-shaped body with broad, wing-like fins.

Habitat & Range

Rays live in oceans worldwide, from shallow coasts and coral reefs to the deep sea, and a few species inhabit fresh water, such as the river stingrays of South America. Many are bottom-dwellers that rest on or bury into sandy or muddy seabeds, while large pelagic rays like mantas roam open water. Habitat and range vary widely across the group.

Diet

Diet varies enormously. Many bottom-dwelling rays eat invertebrates such as molluscs, crustaceans, and worms, using flattened teeth to crush hard shells, while the giant manta rays are filter feeders that strain tiny plankton from the water. Some rays take small fish. This page describes general feeding ecology rather than husbandry details.

Behavior

Many rays swim by undulating or flapping their broad pectoral "wings", gliding gracefully through the water, while bottom-dwellers often lie camouflaged in sediment. Some species form groups or aggregations. Stingrays have one or more barbed, sometimes venomous spines on the tail used purely in defence; they are not aggressive, but people are advised to shuffle their feet in shallow water to avoid stepping on a resting ray. Behaviour varies by species.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Rays are caught in fisheries and as bycatch, and some — including sawfish and certain large rays — are seriously threatened, while others are more common. Manta and reef rays are also a focus of wildlife tourism. Defensive stings can occur if a wild ray is stepped on or handled, so they should be observed respectfully. Conservation status varies greatly by species and should be verified against current IUCN Red List and government sources.

Appearance & Recognition

Most rays have a flattened body with the pectoral fins expanded into a broad disc, eyes on top of the head, and the gill openings underneath. Stingrays often have a whip-like tail bearing a defensive spine; skates have a fleshier tail and lay eggs in cases rather than bearing live young; manta rays have huge triangular fins and head lobes. Size ranges from small skates to mantas several metres across.

Similar Animals

Rays are cartilaginous fish, the same broad group as the sharks covered on FaunaHub — rays are sometimes described as flattened relatives of sharks. They are quite different from the bony fish that make up most of this encyclopedia, including tuna, salmon, and the aquarium fish.

More photos of the ray

A southern stingray resting on a sandy seabed.

A southern stingray on the seabed.

Image: Becky A. Dayhuff, Environmental Educator, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (NOAA).

Frequently Asked Questions — Ray

Are rays related to sharks?
Yes. Rays and sharks are both cartilaginous fish (chondrichthyans), with skeletons of cartilage rather than bone. Rays are essentially a group of flattened relatives of sharks, sharing many features such as cartilaginous skeletons and similar senses.
Are stingrays dangerous?
Stingrays are not aggressive, but they have a defensive barbed spine on the tail that can injure a person who steps on or handles them. In shallow water, shuffling your feet to alert resting rays is commonly advised. Treat any sting as a medical matter and seek qualified help.
What is the difference between a skate and a stingray?
Both are rays, but skates typically have a fleshier tail without a stinging spine and lay eggs in protective cases ("mermaid's purses"), while many stingrays bear live young and have a whip-like tail with a defensive spine. They are different families within the broader ray group.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.