Archive for the ELASMOBRANCHS Category

"Rhinoptera bonasus” The Cownose Stingray is a brown, kite-shaped ray with a long, whip-like tail. It is a highly migratory species along the Atlantic Coast that visits shallow waters in summer each year to give birth & mate. The Cownose Stingray's kite-shaped body has a wingspan ofRead more →

"Myliobatis californica” The Bat Ray is named for the wide, angular shape of its pectoral disc with trailing 'wing' tips and dark brown to black coloring on top. It has a whip-like tail twice the length of its body, with a venomous spine at the base andRead more →

"Mollisquama parini” Even if you're a die-hard animal lover who tunes in to every episode aired during "Shark Week," you'd be forgiven for not knowing about the Pocket Shark. The very first one was found 36 years ago off the coast of Peru and since then, theRead more →

"Etmopterus benchleyi “ You will never see this shark coming, not because it’s dark & elusive but because you won’t be swimming below 1,000 feet deep off the coast of Central America any time soon. A new species of elasmobranch called the Ninja Lanternshark, is described fromRead more →

"Dasyatis violacea” As with all stingrays, the Roughtail Stingray is easily distinguished by its serrated tail spine embedded within the tough skin of its long, slender tail. Also present on the tail are a number of large, well-spaced mid-dorsal bucklers that end anterior to the tail spine,Read more →

"Hemiscyllium ocellatum” Named for the conspicuous dark patch on each ‘shoulder’ which are reminiscent of military epaulettes, the diminutive and prettily-patterned Epaulette Shark is as appealing as it is unusual. This species features an elongate, eel-like body with small, flexible posterior fins and highly mobile paired fins.Read more →

"Himantura chaophraya” The Giant Stingray is one of the world's largest freshwater fish, but it's also cloaked in mystery. No one is sure how many Giant Stingrays are left, which habitats they prefer or even if they ever venture into the ocean where their more commonly knownRead more →

"Rhinoptera bonasus” Why do Golden Stingrays migrate? They are oceanodromous, which means “truly migratory fishes that live and migrate wholly in the sea”. Twice a year, up to 10,000 Golden Stingrays gather near Yucatan Peninsula and migrate about 800 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. They swimRead more →

"Carcharhinus galapagensis” The Galápagos Shark is similar to the Grey Reef Shark but has a rounder head and a thicker body towards the tail section. Galápagos Sharks are normally found in very isolated spots primarily concentrated in the Galápagos Islands and can grow to be nearly 12 feet in length. Galápagos Shark pups can be approximately 22Read more →

"Carcharhinus plumbeus” The Sandbar Shark gets its common name from the sandy and muddy flats, bays & estuaries in which it's found is also known as the Brown Shark. They are moderately large sharks that measure up to 2.5 meters in length, 2 meters on average andRead more →