Stingray is a flat fish with a long, whiplike tail. Its tail has one or two sharp spines near the base. These spines have venom (poison) glands at the base and barbs along the edges. When a bather or a predatory fish disturbs the stingray, it swings its tail upward. The tail inflicts a painful wound that can be as dangerous as a venomous snakebite. A stingray is also called a stingaree.
Many species (kinds) of stingrays exist. Most live on sandy to muddy bottoms in shallow parts of the ocean and in bays. Some species live in fresh water. In South America, small, freshwater stingrays live in rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these stingrays live as far as 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) above the mouth of the Amazon River. A type of stingray that lives in the waters off Australia reaches a length of 14 feet (4 meters).
See also Ray.
Loading the player...Stingrays in the ocean
