# Cownose Ray (*Rhinoptera bonasus*) Cownose Rays have a unique shape that looks like a cow's nose! They are friendly and often swim in groups. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Shallow coastal waters - **Also known as:** Cownose Ray Fish, Cownose Skate ![Cownose Ray](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424497/objects/4729.jpg) ## Appearance The Cownose Ray has a distinctive, deeply notched snout with two prominent lobes that resemble a cow's nose. Its broad, diamond-shaped body is typically olive-brown to dark brown above and white below, with long, pointed pectoral fins. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Myliobatiformes - **Family:** Myliobatidae - **Genus:** Rhinoptera ## Interesting facts - Baby cownose rays are called pups, just like dog babies! - Their 'cow nose' lobes help them stir up the seabed for food. - They can jump completely out of the water sometimes! - They migrate in huge schools that can contain thousands of rays! ## Special abilities - **Electro-Sensing Snout:** Cownose Ray can find hidden clams and oysters by sensing faint electric fields from buried prey with its specialized snout. - **Powerful Shell Crusher:** Cownose Ray has powerful, flat teeth that help them easily crush the hard shells of mollusks like oysters and clams. - **Venomous Whip:** Cownose Ray has a sharp, venomous barb near its tail base that helps them deter predators and protect themselves. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 50-90 cm - **Weight:** 5-23 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Swim Speed:** 10 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 40 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding These rays dig for tasty clams, oysters, and crabs hiding in the sandy seabed. - **Primary Foods:** Clams, Oysters, Scallops, Mussels, Crabs, Shrimp - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Bull Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bull-shark) (*Carcharhinus leucas*) — A common predator that hunts young rays. - **Eaten by:** [Tiger Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-shark) (*Galeocerdo cuvier*) — Larger sharks often prey on adult cownose rays. - **Eats:** [Eastern Oyster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-oyster) (*Crassostrea virginica*) — A primary food source, crushed by their powerful jaws. - **Eats:** Hard Clam (*Mercenaria mercenaria*) — These rays dig these clams from the seabed. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Cownose Ray? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Cownose Ray? 50-90 cm ### How much does Cownose Ray weigh? 5-23 kg ### How long does Cownose Ray live? 15-20 years ### What does Cownose Ray eat? These rays dig for tasty clams, oysters, and crabs hiding in the sandy seabed. ### How fast can Cownose Ray swim? 10 km/h ### Where is Cownose Ray usually found? Shallow coastal waters ### How does Cownose Ray hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Shedd Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shedd-aquarium) — Illinois, US · Aquarium - [Albuquerque Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albuquerque-aquarium) — New Mexico, US · Zoo - [Key West Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/key-west-aquarium) — US · Zoo - [New England Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-england-aquarium) — Massachusetts, US · Aquarium - [Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mystic-aquarium-and-institute-for-exploration) — Connecticut, US · Aquarium - [South Carolina Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-carolina-aquarium) — US · Aquarium [View all places to see Cownose Ray](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/cownose-ray) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Cownose Ray: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cownose-ray)