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Size
4-5 feet (1.2-1.5 m) -
Diet
Fish, cephalopods, crustaceans -
Range
Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean -
Habitat
Tropical and warm temperate waters, over the continental shelf
Physical Characteristics
- Distinctive pattern of small whitish spots across the back, which is black, dark gray or bluish in color. The ventral surface is white. Its smooth skin lacks significant denticles or thorns.
- Does have spiracles dorsally behind the eyes as well as 5 gill slits on the ventral side.
- Have an elongated rostrum that comes to a rounded point and a subterminal mouth with teeth plates.
- The wing-like pectoral fins are broad with pointed tips.
- Long whip-like tail reaching lengths of 2½ to 3 times the width of the disc. There are 2 to 6 barbed spines at the base of the tail.
- It has a single row of broad, flat teeth in each jaw that combine to form upper and lower plates for crushing its shelled prey.
- Row of 6 or 7 papillae (small projections) on the roof and floor of the mouth behind the teeth that are believed to separate shells from prey prior to ingestion.
- Adults can reach a width of 10.8 feet (3.3 m) and a total length of 16.4 feet (5 m) with an undamaged tail.
- Common width is 4-5 feet (1.2-1.5 m).
Animal Fun Fact
Spotted eagle rays use their broad, pointed snout to probe the substrate for its bottom-dwelling prey.
Diet / Feeding
- Diet consists of a wide variety of benthic animals: worms, bivalve and gastropod mollusks, cephalopods, crustaceans and fish.
- Uses its snout to probe in the mud for benthic invertebrates.
Range / Habitat
- Occurs in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Found over the continental shelf from the surface to about 262 feet (80 m) in depth. Spends most of its time in open water, though also found in coastal environments. This ray also will sometimes enter estuaries and may cross ocean basins.
- Can be known to breach out of the water, especially to escape predators while being chased.
Reproduction & Growth
- Ovoviviparous- females give birth to 2-4 pups after a gestation period believed to last about one year.
- Pups are about 7-14 inches (18-36 cm) in disc width at birth.
Conservation Status
- “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List.
Additional Information
- There are 3 different recognized species of spotted eagle rays. Pacific White Spotted (East Pacific), Ocellated (Indo-Pacific), and Spotted (Atlantic).
- Frequently forms large schools during the non-breeding season.
- Fished commercially for meat and cartilage in some locations, particularly in Southeast Asia, where populations are declining more than in other areas.
- Scientists are reevaluating the taxonomy of the spotted eagle ray because they suspect that as many as four distinct species may exist, not just one.
