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This article is about the family of marine fish. For other uses, see Stingray (disambiguation). Stingrays Fossil range: Late Cretaceous–Recent Pre? ? O S D C P T J K Pg N [1] Bluespotted stingray, Taeniura lymma Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Family: Dasyatidae Genera Dasyatis Himantura Pastinachus Pteroplatytrygon Taeniura Urogymnus A stingray buried in the sand in Saba. Stingrays can be hard to see when they cover themselves with substrate. Dasyatidae is a family of rays, cartilaginous marine fish, related to skates and sharks. Dasyatids are common in tropical coastal waters throughout the world, and there are freshwater species in Asia (Himantura sp.), Africa, and Florida (Dasyatis sabina). The "typical" freshwater rays in South America, while superficially similar to stingrays, are members of another family, Potamotrygonidae. While most dasyatids are relatively widespread and unlikely to be threatened, there are several species (for example Taeniura meyeni, Dasyatis colarensis, D. garouaensis, and D. laosensis) where the conservation status is more problematic, leading to them being listed as vulnerable or endangered by IUCN. The status of several other species are poorly known, leading to them being listed as Data Deficient. A group or collection of stingrays is commonly[citation needed] referred to as a "fever" of stingrays. Contents [hide] 1 Description and biology 1.1 Feeding habits 1.2 Stinging mechanism 1.3 Reproduction 2 Description and biology Some adult stingrays may be no larger than a human palm, while other species, like the short-tail stingray, may have a body of six feet in diameter and an overall length, including their tail, of fourteen feet. Stingrays range from shades of gray to being brightly colored, and can be plain or patterned. Perhaps the largest stingray ever found weighed almost 1500 kilograms (3300 pounds) and measured over 5 metres (16.5 feet) in width . It was caught by fishermen near Hainan Sanya in China. [2] Dasyatids are propelled by motion of their large pectoral fins (commonly mistaken as "wings"). Their stinger is a razor-sharp, barbed, or serrated cartilaginous spine which grows from the ray's whip-like tail (like a fingernail), and can grow as long as 37 cm. On the underside of the spine are two grooves containing venom-secreting glandular tissue. The entire spine is covered with a thin layer of skin called the "integumentary sheath", in which the venom is concentrated.[3] The venom contains the enzymes 5-nucleotidase and phosphodiesterase which break down and kill cells; and the neurotransmitter serotonin which provokes smooth-muscle contractions.[4] This gives them their common name of stingrays (a compound of "sting" and "ray"),[5] but the name can also be used | ||||
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