10 rays I want to see while scuba diving

Rays are the other big attraction for me when scuba diving. They have been easier to see than sharks - I've already seen a few species. The big ones though, still elude me (and some interesting little ones as well). Rays are less endangered than sharks, although some are still hunted for food. I'm relatively alright with that, as most people eat all of the ray (although not all, as will be shown below). Overfishing is still decimating our oceans though, and if we can't farm rays properly, arguably we shouldn't be fishing for them.

1. Spotted eagle ray

The family of eagle rays is called Myliobatididae. There are between 6 and 8 genera in this family, depending whether or not one counts mantas and cownose rays as members. Spotted eagle rays are up to 2m long, not including the tail, and with a wingspan of up to 2.5m. They can be found all through the Atlantic and in the Indian Ocean. This species is fished heavily, and is endangered. As with most rays, spotted eagle rays dig crustaceans, molluscs and cephalopods out of the ocean floor for food. These rays do not lay eggs, instead giving birth to live young. Image from Sea Saba, a dive operator operating out of Saba in the Dutch Caribbean.

2. Manta ray

Manta birostris, from the family Mobulidae, are the second-best thing I'd ever hope to see on a dive (the first is the whale shark). Their most distinctive feature is the two "horns" around their mouth, which probably serve to direct plankton when feeding. Mantas can grow up to 9m in wingspan, and can weigh several tons. They are found in all oceans, being a true circumoceanic creature. The adjacent image is from National Geographic, and depicts a baby manta born in Japan last year.

3. Cownose ray

Cownose rays, from the family Rhinopteridae, are so named for the distinctive snout that they possess. They use their pectoral fins to dig up molluscs and crustaceans for food, crushing them in heavy dental plates. They are found all over the world, with different species inhabiting different oceans. The Atlantic cownose ray, shown in the image (from the Washington Post, in a story about how cownose rays have decimated an oyster farm) gives birth to live young in mangrove swamps rather than in salt water. They can be up to 1m in wingspan.

4. Shovelnose guitarfish

The shovelnose guitarfish is from the family Rhinobatidae, which contains about 10 genera. They are rays, although they swim as a shark would, and have a similar body plan. This particular species can be found around Australia, and there is one documented case of an attack on a diver. Luckily, guitarfishes have small, blunt teeth, which they use to eat small crustaceans. The shovelnose guitarfish gives birth to live young. Adjacent image from Elasmodiver.

5. Southern stingray

The southern stingray is one of about 70 species in seven genera in the family Dasyatidae. It is found in the Western Atlantic, and can be up to 2m in wingspan. They also give birth to live young. There's a dive site in Grand Cayman called Stingray City where southern stingrays gather. Fishermen used to moor there to sort their catch, and the stingrays were initially attracted by the food. Since then divers have discovered the stingrays, and now dive with and feed them. Adjacent image from Elasmodiver.

6. Brazilian numbfish

The Brazilian numbfish belongs to the family Narcinidae, of which there are about 9 genera. These rays are disc-shaped and have a large caudal fin. They are bottom dwelling, digging for prey with their pectoral fins, and are able to stun their prey by delivering an electric shock using organs in their head. The Brazilian numbfish is found in the Western Atlantic and can grow up to about 30cm in length. Adjacent image from Wikipedia.

7. Masked stingaree

The masked stingaree is a member of the family Urolophidae, which contains 3 genera. Some species are found in brackish water. They have many papillae below their mouth, a feature which is used to distinguish them by species. The masked stingaree is found in Australia, and can grow up to about 50cm in length. The adjacent image is from the very helpful Elasmodiver.


8. California butterfly ray

The California butterfly ray is one of the species hunted for food. It is from the family Gymnuridae, which contains about 14 species in 2 genera. It is found in the Pacific along the coastal regions of North, Central and South America, feeding off bivalves, molluscs and crustaceans. It can grow up to 1.7m in wingspan, and the large pectoral fins make it idea for fishing. The adjacent image shows a discarded California butterfly ray after fishermen have taken the saleable bits - fillets, from mexfish.org.

9. Thornback skate

Skates are defined as members of the family Rajidae. They are small rays, often a metre or less in wingspan. They feed on benthic animals, that is the molluscs and crustaceans that dwell on the ocean floor, like so many other members of the ray family. Thornback skates are found in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean, including around Britain. They have the pointed thorns on the back and tail that give them their name. Adjacent image from Marlin, the Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland.

10. Ornate sleeper ray

Ornate sleeper rays are of the family Narkidae, which has 4 genera and about 10 species. The scientific name for this ray is Electrolux addisoni - and yes, it's named after the company, because of its vigorous sucking action when feeding. It's endemic to South Africa. They are usually found in deep waters, so I'm unlikely to see one. This particular species probably represents my best chance. And it's best to be wary of it, because like the Narcinidae numbfish, it can generate a powerful enough electric shock to deter sharks. Adjacent image from the East Coast Fish Watch Project, with a description of how this species was collected and described.


I've seen an eagle ray, once, on a night dive in the Red Sea. I've also seen many blue-spotted stingrays, about 70cm in wingspan, of the family Dasyatidae, on dives in the Red Sea and in Sipadan. With some luck I'll see the rest, starting with Manta birostris.

And finally, this particular creature doesn't seem to fit with either sharks or rays, so I'd thought I'd squeeze it in at the end of this post. As you can see, it's very unusual.

11. Large toothed sawfish

Sawfishes are related to sharks and rays, but are neither. They belong to the family Pristidae, and are still thought of as elasmobranchs. Their most interesting feature is that saw-toothed snout, called a rostrum. Like the bill of the platypus, the rostrum is electro-sensitive, and enables the sawfish to detect the movements of its prey buried beneath the sand. The saw-teeth aid in digging the prey up. The large-toothed sawfish can be up to 6.5m long, and is found in the Pacific, from southern Africa to Indonesia and Vietnam. It can live in fresh and brackish water, and has been fished to endangered status. Adjacent image from BBC News.