Since the day we existed as humanity, we have always kept our eyes up and explored space. But we haven’t always looked at the bodies of water that make up the bulk of our planet with such interest. However, what creatures are in those deep waters? The stingray fish is one of them. Moreover, you do not need to go into deep waters to see stingray fish, you can sometimes see them even when you look at them from the beach.
Stingray fish have been living in our waters for millions of years since the dinosaurs existed. In such a long process, they did not sit idle and evolved into hundreds of different species. Each species has its own characteristics, size and living habits. So whatever you know about these creatures, there is more to be sure. Let’s dive into the extraordinary world of stingray fish and see interesting facts about it.
Information about stingray fish:
- The stingray fish actually fly in water.
- Stingrays, which are related to sharks, have existed since the time of the dinosaurs.
- Do not think that you see it sleeping on sand and feed on algae.
- There are hundreds of different types of stingrays.
- The stingray fish can be very, very large.
- If you ask if the stingray is dangerous, we will say which species you encountered.
- The relationship between stingray and human is somewhat complicated.
- The stingrays have natural navigation.
- Some stingray species are about to disappear.
The stingray fish actually fly in the water:
Although rare, they rise out of the water like flying fish, but even when we look at them in general, we see that their swimming patterns are different from other fish. While stingrays swim, they wave their bodies up and down. This ripple movement resembles the flapping of a bird’s wings when viewed from afar. Although it varies according to the species, the average speed of a stingray is 1.35 kilometers per hour. However, when it moves at a consistent pace, it can make 850-kilometer migrations.
Stingrays, which are related to sharks, have existed since the time of the dinosaurs:
When we look at it from a distance, it may seem that there is not much similarity between them, but in fact, sharks and stingrays are close relatives. They both have a cartilaginous skeleton rather than a bone, and both have special sensors that pick up signals from the environment while hunting.
Just like sharks, stingrays have been around for a long time. In 2019, a group of researchers discovered a 50-million-year-old stingray fossil. Studies have found some traces of the great extinction on the stingray. According to experts, the stingray as we know it today broke up 150 million years ago in what is called the Late Jurassic and has survived to this day.
Do not think that you see it sleeping on sand and feed on algae:
The stingray fish bury themselves beautifully under the sand and sleep that way. They disguise themselves so well that sometimes people accidentally step on them. If you think that such creatures at the sand level feed on algae or something, you are wrong because stingrays are carnivorous creatures. Of course, they don’t make big prey like sharks. They eat crustaceans, small fins and worms. In the observations, it was seen that stingrays prey on 65 different living species.
There is another interesting detail about the feeding of stingrays. In the examinations, it was seen that stingrays chewed the crustaceans they hunted. You can say what’s wrong with that, but in studies conducted to date, it was thought that mammals were the only living species that chewed their food. The stingray is a fish, not a mammal. Perhaps the stingray is one of the rare creatures that defies evolution.
There are hundreds of different types of stingrays:
The stingrays, which have existed for millions of years, have inevitably spread to almost all the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers of the world. Yes, stingrays also live in fresh water because there are 220 different species of stingrays identified so far. Each of these has its own characteristics. Some live in fresh water, some are spotted, some are very large, some are very small. Among these, a species called the small-eyed stingray is one of the rarest.
The stingray fish can be very, very large:
The smallest stingray detected to date is a creature called the small-nosed stingray with a length of 10 cm and a weight of 400 grams. A species that lives in the oceans and is called the manta ray has a truly astonishing size. With a wingspan of about 7 meters, the manta ray can weigh up to 2 tons.
Speaking of dimensions, let’s give a few more information. Stingray babies are ready to swim and hunt as soon as they are born. In other words, stingray cubs are born developed. Female stingrays are larger than males, reach sexual maturity earlier and live longer. While it has been seen that female stingrays live up to 22 years, male stingrays have a maximum lifespan of 7 years.
If you ask if the stingray is dangerous, we will say which species you encountered:
There is no definitive answer to the question of whether the stingray is a dangerous fish, because some of the hundreds of species are extremely harmless, while others are deadly harmful. Let us remind you that Steve Irwin, whom we know as a crocodile hunter, died in 2006 after being poisoned by a stingray. According to the United States data, nearly 2,000 people suffer from stingray poisoning every year. These generally occur in the form of stinging from the feet or legs of people who do not see the stingray in the sand and step on it.
The relationship between stingray and human is somewhat complicated:
If we put venomous stingrays into a separate category, stingrays do not pose a great threat to humans, just like sharks. In fact, many aquariums, especially in the USA, hold events where people swim with stingrays. According to experts working in such aquariums, stingray fish enjoy swimming with people and do not suffer any harm. However, the opposite of this claim may be the case. Of the 42 stingrays that regularly interacted with humans at an aquarium in Chicago, 34 died of unknown cause. Maybe we’re the toxic ones for them, something that needs to be explored.
The stingrays have natural navigation:
We said that stingrays, like their relatives sharks, sense the environment with a special sensor. The scientists wanted to take things a little further and test the magnetic field sensing properties of stingrays. In a study conducted in 2020, it was revealed that stingrays actually perceive an existing geomagnetic field, and moreover, they determine their direction with natural navigation systems by taking it as a center.
Some species of stingrays, including:
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, IUCN for short, in Turkish, World Union for Conservation of Nature; In recent years, it has included 26 different species of stingray on the endangered species list. The number of these species has decreased by up to 80 percent, especially in the last 60 years. Of course, hunting also has an effect on this, but it is known that the biggest reason is the destruction of natural habitats.
We talked about extraordinary information about stingray fish, one of the most mysterious creatures of the oceans, some of which you have never heard before. While we know so little about a species that we can see even on the beach if we wanted to, who knows what we will encounter when we dive into deep waters.
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