# Spotted Eagle Ray (*Aetobatus narinari*) Spotted Eagle Rays have beautiful spotted patterns on their backs! They glide gracefully along the ocean floor. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Shallow coastal waters - **Also known as:** Common Eagle Ray, Narinari Ray ![Spotted Eagle Ray](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426474/objects/4726.jpg) ## Appearance The Spotted Eagle Ray has a distinctive dark blue to black dorsal surface covered with numerous white spots, resembling stars in the night sky. It possesses a flattened, duck-like snout and a long, whip-like tail with several venomous barbs near its base, making it visually unique among rays. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Myliobatiformes - **Family:** Myliobatidae - **Genus:** Aetobatus ## Interesting facts - Baby eagle rays are born live, swimming immediately after birth! - Sometimes, hundreds of these rays swim together in amazing schools! - Their long tail can have up to five venomous barbs for defense! - They use their snout like a shovel to dig for food in the seabed! ## Special abilities - **Seabed Sniffer:** Spotted Eagle Rays can dig into the sand with their snout that helps them uncover hidden prey like clams and crabs. - **Sky Leaper:** Spotted Eagle Rays can breach, jumping high out of the water, possibly to escape predators or remove parasites. - **Electro-Sense:** Spotted Eagle Rays have special electroreceptors that help them detect electrical fields from prey buried in the sand. - **Crusher Jaws:** Spotted Eagle Rays have powerful, plate-like teeth that help them easily crush the hard shells of mollusks. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 150-300 cm - **Weight:** 100-230 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-23 years - **Swim Speed:** 48 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 80 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding They munch on tasty shellfish, crabs, and small fish hidden on the seabed with their powerful jaws! - **Primary Foods:** clams, oysters, shrimp, crabs, squid, small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Tiger Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-shark) (*Galeocerdo cuvier*) — A primary predator of rays. - **Eaten by:** Great Hammerhead (*Sphyrna mokarran*) — Hunts them in shallow coastal areas. - **Symbiotic with:** [Remora](https://www.snappit.app/explore/remora) (*Echeneis naucrates*) — Attaches for transport and food scraps. - **Hunts:** Hard Clam (*Mercenaria mercenaria*) — A favorite food, dug 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. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [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 Spotted Eagle 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 Spotted Eagle Ray? 150-300 cm ### How much does Spotted Eagle Ray weigh? 100-230 kg ### How long does Spotted Eagle Ray live? 15-23 years ### What does Spotted Eagle Ray eat? They munch on tasty shellfish, crabs, and small fish hidden on the seabed with their powerful jaws! ### How fast can Spotted Eagle Ray swim? 48 km/h ### Where is Spotted Eagle Ray usually found? Shallow coastal waters ### How does Spotted Eagle Ray hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Palm Beach Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/palm-beach-zoo) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium) — Washington, US · Aquarium - [The Seas with Nemo & Friends](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-seas-with-nemo-and-friends-florida) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Maui Ocean Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/maui-ocean-center) — Hawaii, US · Zoo - [The Seas with Nemo & Friends](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-seas-with-nemo-and-friends) — Florida, US · Aquarium - [Maui Ocean Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/maui-ocean-center-hawaii) — Hawaii, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Spotted Eagle Ray](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spotted-eagle-ray) ## Watch - [Play video: Spotted Eagle Ray](https://www.snappit.app/videos/spotted-eagle-ray) - [YouTube](https://www.snappit.app/published_manually) ## 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: [Spotted Eagle Ray: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-eagle-ray)