Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Spotted Eagle Ray

SPOTTED EAGLE RAY Aetobatus narinari

Description: The spotted eagle ray has a flat disk-shaped body, deep blue or black with white spots on its top side, and a white underbelly. These rays have a flat snout, similar to that of a duck bill. The tail can be from 1.3 to 3 times the length of the disk. The front half of the long and wing-like pectoral disk has five small gills in its underside; the rays' barbed stingers are just behind the pelvic fins. The spotted eagle ray can be identified by the numerous white spots or rings on its blue dorsal surface, white ventral surface, long, whip-like tail, and distinctive head that somewhat resembles a bill. Their tails, which are longer than those of other rays, may have 2–6 venomous spines.
Feeding Habits: It preys mainly upon bivalves, shrimps, crabs, whelks, and other benthic infauna. The spotted eagle ray's specialized chevron-shaped tooth structure helps it to crush the mollusks' hard shells.
Size: Mature spotted eagle rays can be up to 16 ft in length. The largest of them have a wingspan of up to 10 ft and a mass of 510 lbs.
Where Found: Spotted Eagle Rays are found globally in tropical regions, including the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Atlantic Africa, the Indian Ocean, Oceania, and the Pacific west coast. They are found in shallow coastal waters by coral reefs and bays, in depths down to 260 ft. They spend much of their time swimming freely in open waters. Generally swimming in schools close to the surface, they can travel long distances in a day.