The Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a ray that occurs in all tropical and almost all subtropical seas. It can reach a maximum length of 3.30 metres with its long, whip-like tail, but is usually around 1.80 metres long. He lives mainly in shallow coastal waters, such as bays and coral reefs, but can also cross the open ocean and sometimes jumps out of the water. The IUCN status of the various eagle ray species ranges from "Least Concern" to "Critically Endangered".
The Oceanic Manta Ray (Mobula birostris) is the largest ray species in the world. Extremely large specimens can reach a span of up to 7m and they probably live up to 40 years. They spend much of their time in the open ocean away from reefs, diving hundreds of metres to find their prey, the zooplankton. They are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, but are also threatened by targeted fisheries driven by demand for their gill plates. Therefore, the IUCN classifies them as "Endangered". Climate change is likely to additionally influence the availability of their food base.
The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (Taeniura lymma) reaches a body length of 70 cm and is distributed from the Red Sea, across the Indopacific region to Japan and Australia. They are typical inhabitants of coral reefs and prefer soft sandy bottoms for burrowing. Due to hunting as a food fish and for aquaristics, as well as the loss of its coral reef habitat, the IUCN classifies them as "Least Concern".
The Common Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) lives at the bottom of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the south coast of Great Britain and the North Sea into the Mediterranean Sea. Like all stingrays, it has a venomous sting and is crepuscular and nocturnal. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms and small fish and hides in the sand during the day. The IUCN classifies them as "Vulnerable".
