Stingrays .....an open discussion.....

[bensnacks]

This topic seems pertinent at the moment ....lets discuss what we know about these amazing creatures here.

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[BWSmith]

I think that first thing is to make the distinction that not all rays have a barb.

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[cyndi rankin]

don't know much, but from what i have learned they are graceful and peaceful creatures unless they feel threatened

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[CraigC]

From my college marinelife class, '76, I remember that the the barb has a groove on each side that holds the venom in a sponge like material. In the situation with Steve's death, I think the freak location of the hit is the culpret and the venom had nothing to do with it. Rays are part of the shark family, I believe. I have encountered hundreds over the years while diving. My favorites are the "cow-nosed" rays (eagle rays, spotted rays) which are most often encountered in open water. Have never encounterd a Manta.

Craig

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[bensnacks]

I've watched eagle rays throw them selves in to the air and do "flips", whether it is to rid themselves of parasites or what I don't know ........but an awesome sight.!

[NicoleRussell]

When the kids and I went to the bahamas recently and hung out with the rays(southern stingrays), the guy who taught the class said they were venomous....but that the rays at disney were voids (I know--when I heard that I thought of the voided snakes we all seem to speak out against). He also said they were very docile sweet animals typically but that it's a small chance on them getting spooked and using their stinger. I found them to be delightful. They ate right out of our hands and had no teeth---they did have jaws and a sort of suction power...but they really were wondeful creatures.

[RioBravoReptiles]

Here, many people get hit by the stingrays when fishing in the surf or bay, it's easy to step on them. It has even happened that a man was killed by one. So the rays are widely hated and despised. Many more people get stuck while they are killing or tormenting the rays.
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I have been stuck hard once and it hurts very much but I still like the animals and carefully return them to the water if I happen to hook one (which is not an uncommon thing).
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I don't know how many types of rays are common here but I've seen at least three. Some are very large.
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Gus.

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[amercnwmn]

Originally Posted by BWSmith

I think that first thing is to make the distinction that not all rays have a barb.

Thanks for that.. LOL I had NO idea I think they are beautiful and intriguing animals, but even still, I just recently realized there are freshwater rays

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[Naf Eeknay]

Originally Posted by CraigC

From my college marinelife class, '76, I remember that the the barb has a groove on each side that holds the venom in a sponge like material. In the situation with Steve's death, I think the freak location of the hit is the culpret and the venom had nothing to do with it. Rays are part of the shark family, I believe. I have encountered hundreds over the years while diving. My favorites are the "cow-nosed" rays (eagle rays, spotted rays) which are most often encountered in open water. Have never encounterd a Manta.
Craig

I agree, I think the barb actually punctured the heart from what I have heard. How potent is their venom though? Would it be comparable to say a Timber Ratttlesnake? Or a Jellyfish?

Peace!

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[fizzbob7]

Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

I agree, I think the barb actually punctured the heart from what I have heard. How potent is their venom though? Would it be comparable to say a Timber Ratttlesnake? Or a Jellyfish?
Peace!

it's neurotoxic i think, more like a minor bite from a small coral.....even in snakes, a grown snake's defensive bite may yield less venom (if any at all) than what they use when killing prey......i think the stats for a dry bite are like 1 out of 3 or something........timber rattler venom is partially neurotoxic but mostly hemotoxic (can be up to 30% neuro depending on the area) and a bite from a timber can be life threatening whereas being barbed by most rays would mean pain and discomfort for a few days.......their venom is broken down by heat and from what i understand, is very mild overall........

some jellyfish only cause you to burn, some can completely kill you, so they're all over the map.........

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	neurotoxin Neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells – neurons – usually by interacting with membrane proteins and ion channels.

[seduisant_sang]

I think it's important to note that the ray who struck Steve was a rocket; apparently in a video that shows Steve being stuck, he wasn't even being his usual provocative self, just swimming over the guy.
Anyways, just hoping we can spread the message to people that you cannot completely define an animal's temperament without error.

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[RioBravoReptiles]

Originally Posted by seduisant_sang

I think it's important to note that the ray who struck Steve was a rocket; apparently in a video that shows Steve being stuck, he wasn't even being his usual provocative self, just swimming over the guy.
Anyways, just hoping we can spread the message to people that you cannot completely define an animal's temperament without error.

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That's a good point..
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I gotta ask (again) is that a black tiger snake in your avatar?
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Gus.

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[RioBravoReptiles]

Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

I agree, I think the barb actually punctured the heart from what I have heard. How potent is their venom though? Would it be comparable to say a Timber Ratttlesnake? Or a Jellyfish?
Peace!

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I'm no expert either but I see a lot of these when I'm fishing. The barb is coated with a slime, like a catfish spine.. I have been told that what's on the barb is a mixture of what the animal secretes and biologicals that get stuck or grow there..
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Now a Moray bite burns worse, like fire! But the pain goes away more quickly.
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Gus.

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[AnAcOnDaMaN]

My favorite species of ray has to be the cow-nose. Their appearence is very appealing! I've done the whole feed the rays at seaworld to free diving with them in the bahamas. When I stayed at the hotel resort "Atlantis", in the bahamas, they had a captive manta ray in a huge aquarium. That had to be the most beautiful ray i had ever seen. Definately animals that should be respected.

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[RevMojo]

They pretty much taste like shark.

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[barrychapman]

Originally Posted by bensnacks

This topic seems pertinent at the moment ....lets discuss what we know about these amazing creatures here.

are manta rays part of the same species? I thought I remember that there were two different kinds of rays, i dont know if stingrays and manta rays were the two different ones.

I remember being at a water zoo once - and they had a big circular pool where they let some rays play. There were two rays swimming around the pool counter clockwise, with one of their wings out of the water slapping the side of the pool as they swam by.

i thought and still do think they are fascinating.. i will miss steve irwin though

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[scarlettrose2006]

All I can say is that I would love to be near a Manta Ray once. It has been my dream for a very long time. Such graceful and beautiful animals. Just something about them

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[AnAcOnDaMaN]

Just to not create confusion, skates are a type of "ray" that differ considerably from stingrays of the Order Myliobatiformes. They do not venomous barbs.

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[CraigC]

There are many species! I was mistaken about "cow-nosed" rays, seems they are different than eagles or spotteds. The inshore species seem to have the tail barbs and open ocean onens have the Base of the tail spines (barbs).

Craig

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[slackin]

I just hope the Steve Irwin incident doesn't cause any kind of backlash against rays. I already know a lot of people kill them or break their barb off when they catch them on a fishing line. Probably for the same reasons people go out of their way to kill snakes. Fear and ignorance.

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