The Different Types Of Eagle Rays
Aetobatus Narinari, the well known spotted eagle ray, is also referred to as the Maylan or Bonnet Ray. This is an extremely beautiful ray that bears on its inky body, an abundance of white spots all over. This ray has a 2.5 meter span width and a maximum weight of 230 kg. This calculation includes the tail which can extend to five meters in length. Normally, the well known spotted eagle ray is going to be distributed in the oceans in tropical areas which include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The genus is also known to include the Aetobatus flagellum or the longheaded eagle ray, which is much smaller. Native to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Coast, thanks to the increase in fishing in these areas, this species is fast becoming extinct and the call has gone out about its endangered status from environmentalists.
Aetomylaeus or the Smooth Tail Eagle Ray is known to be an obscure genus which was distributed in the Western Pacific Coast and the Indian Ocean. The smooth tail eagle rays were named due to the fact that they don't have a sting on the tail and therefore are not venemous. The species within this classification includes the Aetomylaeus Nichofii (Banded Eagle Ray), the Aetomylaeus Maculatus (Mottled Eagle Ray) and the Aetomylaeus Vespertilio (Ornate Eagle Ray).
Myliobatis or the Common Eagle Rays are known to be distributed throughout the entire Eastern Atlantic which includes the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Myliobatis Californica, the bat eagle ray, is another species that can be found in the Pacific Ocean. These have a tail that looks just like a long whip with a sting at the end and you will find them in both shallow as well as very deep waters. When they swim in the shallows, you can spot them if you're on the beach and they look so graceful as their two wings comes above the water, propelling them along like angels' wings.
Like all rays, eagle rays too do not have any bones, only cartilage and even their vertebrae are made up of calcified cartilage. These magnificent creatures trace their history way back millions of years and there have been fossilized finds of their ancestors. It would be a tragedy indeed that something so beautiful that survived so long should be made extinct by man's wanton killing.