The Common Eagle Ray, Myliobatis Aquila
Myliobatis Aquila, the common eagle ray, can be found throughout the entire Eastern Atlantic region which includes the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Myliobatis Californica is another species of common eagle ray and is referred to as the bat eagle ray and is found in the Pacific Ocean. The common eagle ray grows to be extremely large measuring up to close to 200 centimeters when the tail is included in the measurement. The tail on these rays resembles a whip and can possibly be as long as the ray's entire body and it has a sting. These rays live very close to the coasts swimming in depths of around 30 meters though they can swim close to the surface as well. There are some exceptional cases where they can be found in waters that are very deep.
Very often, rays can be found gracefully gliding along with their wings coming up like two fish swimming in tandem together. Human beings however, very often target these graceful creatures for sport because they are said to ensure a good fight when they get hooked to a fishing line and a lot of anglers enjoy this. There are several methods of capture that are currently being used which includes trammelnets, trawls and longlines. However, it is heartening to note that there are places in the world where it is absolutely forbidden to capture or fish for these creatures because there are fast getting into the endangered species list. For them to have survived from the Jurassic age up to now and then be decimated for sport seems a sad thought indeed.
Besides sport, the eagle ray is also used for its flesh which is hardly ever eaten but is converted into oil or fishmeal. You'll find that the spotted eagle rays are normally a shy species, they are very wary of divers and they are extremely difficult to approach. They are also considered to be potentially dangerous to humans because of their venomous tail spines which are capable of inflicting some serious wounds. Well, their venomous tails are the only protection they have and they only use it when they are threatened. Most rays rarely attack unprovoked. They usually let you be if they see that you are not about to pursue them. There does seem to be more of an awareness today about the fast declining numbers of the eagle ray and one hopes that there will be a sustained effort to keep its population from dwindling.