The Rays of Tenerife
Which species of rays are there on the island?
You can find 6 different types of rays in Tenerife:
- The Stingray (Common Stingray, Roughtail Stingray and Yellow Stingray)
- The Eagle Ray
- The Bull Ray
- The Devil Ray
- The Marbled Electric Ray
- The Butterfly Ray
Although the Marbled Electric Ray and the Devil Ray are very rare to spot, all the other types of rays are seen daily in Tenerife, mainly by scuba divers. Let’s dig a bit deeper into each characteristic of each species of rays.
Stingrays
What is a Stingray?
Like sharks, stingrays belong to a class of animals called elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their boneless skeletons made of cartilage, the same semi-flexible protein that gives human ears their shape.
The stingrays’ flat body allows it to settle to the bottom of the ocean, river, or lake, camouflaging itself from predators swimming above while hunting prey on the bottom. When they feel like moving, most rays swim by undulating their bodies like a wave; others flap their sides like wings. The tail can also be used for maneuvering in the water, but its primary purpose is protection.
The ray’s coloration commonly reflects the shading of the seabed, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays. Their flattened bodies are made up of pectoral fins attached to the head and trunk with an infamous tail trailing behind.
While the ray’s eyes poke out from its dorsal side, its mouth, nostrils, and gill slits are situated on its belly. Therefore, scientists do not believe that their eyes play a significant role in hunting. Like its shark relatives, the ray is equipped with electrical sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini. Located around the ray’s mouth, these organs detect the natural electrical charges of potential prey. Many rays have teeth in their jaws that allow them to crush shellfish such as clams, oysters, and mussels.
How big are they?
Stingrays range in size from as small as a dinner plate to as large as 5 meters (16.5 feet) long, including the tail, some freshwater stingray specimens have been known to weigh up to 590 Kg. (1,300 pounds).
Are stingrays dangerous?
Yes and no, Stingrays have tails that often have a serrated barb or sting filled with toxins. If a stingray feels threatened, it may raise its barbed tail and injure potential predators. This sting, and the teeth are the only fossil that you can find from a stingray.
It is not often that stingrays attack humans, but be careful where you step!
What do stingrays eat?
The stingrays feed on mollusks, crustaceans they find in the bottom, they also eat carrion and even small fish.
Where can we find them?
These are sedentary fish that live on sandy sea-beds. They almost always remain motionless, or ever half-buried on the sand.
In Tenerife we can find 2 species of Stingrays! The first one is known as “Chuchos”
Common Stingray
The common stingray (Dasyatis Pastinaca) prefers shallow but sandy and muddy coastal habitat. The pectoral fin is diamond-shaped but wider than long and plain colored body.
This ray is the whip-like tail that folds into the upper and lower flippers in addition to its smooth skin, painful but not life-threatening sting and slightly bulging snout.
Common rays have a total width of 46 to 140 cm (18 to 55 in) and a total disc length of 37 to 113 cm (14.6 to 44.5 in). The typical weight of the common stingray is in the range of 14 Kg to 32 kg (31 to 70.5 pounds). Common stingrays have a lifespan of between 15 and 21 years.
Roughtail Stingray
The roughtail Stingray (Dasyatis centroura) has a diamond-shaped body and a long tail sticking out from its rear. Its whip-like tail has many rows of poisonous spikes and can grow up to 2.5 times the length of its body. Its body color varies from dark brown to an olive hue. The underside is white, while the tail is black. Roughtail stingray do not have a dorsal fin and their snout is quite long and angular. They generally reside in marine and brackish waters and prefer areas with sandy bottoms.
Rougthtail stingrays have an average width of 1.5 m, while females have an average width of 1.6 m. The length of its disk can reach 2.2 m (87.01 inch), and they can weith 300Kg (660.79 lb.). There is not to much information about the longevity of this rays but they live about 70 years, some live more than 100 years.
Yellow Stingray
Yellow stingrays (Urobatis jamaicensis) have a round pectoral fin disc and a short tail with a well-developed caudal fin. It has a highly variable but distinctive dorsal. The pectoral disc is no more than 1.3 times as wide as it is long. Their dorsal skin can be smooth or covered with denticles or spines and yellow colored. They have no dorsal fin. This bottom-dwelling species inhabits sandy, muddy, or seagrass bottoms in shallow inshore waters.
Yellow stingrays can reach no more than 36 cm (14 in) across with a weigth of 5kg (12 lb) and live for almost 70 years.
Eagle Ray
The Eagle Ray (Myliobatis Aquila) is characterized by its long, slender tail with a large spine, a single dorsal fin, and a triangular pectoral fin that makes the fish reflect a rhomboid. It also has a more striking head that can be clearly distinguished from its body. This ray does not always remain on the bottom. The sharp spine at the base of the tail may look dangerous but is harmless.
Eagle rays have a total width between 61-84 cm (24″-33″) and a total disc length of 37-52 cm (14.6″-20.5″). The typical weight of the eagle ray is in the range of 11 to 32 pounds (5 to 14.5 kg). Common eagle rays have a life expectancy of between 15 to 20 years.
Bull Ray
The bull ray (Pteromylaeus bovinus) is similar to the eagle ray, but bigger. The most striking feature for identifying it is its tiger-striped coloring on the back. Its long, pointed pectoral fins separated into two lobes that helps to create their domed heads. It is more active than other rays, and also timider in the presence of divers. In general, you can see it swimming a few meters above the sea-bed. Bull rays are carnivores that feed on invertebrates, crabs, hermit crabs, and small squids.
Adult bull rays have a total width between 0.70 to 1.5 m (2.5 to 5 ft) and the typical weight is in the range 5 to 115 kg (12 to 250 lb).
Devil Ray
-Raya Diablo-
The devil ray (Mobula Mobular) has thin but long tails covered by spiny bumps and has one set of fins. Its distinctive features include a mouth on its head, which is large and wide, and a pair of cephalic fins curled to resemble horns. This ray prefers to swim in open waters often accompanied by an escort of pilot fish and they feed mostly on plankton. It is one of the fish with the lowest reproductive potential that exists, because it usually has only 2 to 3 offspring per year, which makes it a vulnerable species.
Devil Ray has a total width between 2 -5m (9′-17′) and a total body length of 1,5 -3 m (5.3′-10.17′). The typical weight of the Devil Fish is in the range of 300-360 kg (661-794 lb). Devil fish have a life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years.
Marbled Electric Ray
-Torpedo-
The marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata) has a pectoral fin disc which is short and rounded. Its tail is thick, displaying a pair of dorsal fins of relatively equal size and large tail fins. This solitary but nocturnal predator ambushes the prey but in defense or attack mode, it produces an electric shock, for that its name. This ray is capable of producing 70–80 volts of electricity!
The Marbled Electric Ray has an overall width between 20-41 cm (8” and 16”) and an overall length of 30-60 cm (12”-24”). The typical weight of the Common Torpedo is in the range of 5-10 kg (11-22 lb). The marbled electric ray has a useful life of between 10 and 15 years.
Butterfly Ray
-Mantelina-
The butterfly rays (Gymnura altavela) are caracterized by their extremely wide pectoral fins that resemble the wings of a butterfly, and short tails. They live on the bottom, in open sandy areas, and very often they go unnoticed because they completly buried in the sand. They feed on a variety of invertebrates, fish, and other small organisms. Some have a poisonous spine on their short tails, but butterfly rays are considered much less dangerous than long-tailed rays.
Butterfly ray has an overall width between 40-50 cm (13” and 16”) and an overall length of 1,5 – 2 m (40”-80”). The weight of the Butterfly Ray is around 30-60kg (65-130 lb).
The Canary islands are well known as one of the best destination for diving in Europe, its huge variety of submarine environments allows it to has a lot of different marine flora and fauna. Now that you know a bit more about the rays we can encounter here, I hope you are even more excited to jump into the water and get to meet them!
Book online with 10% discount price on any dive activity:
Rodrigo Fano
Bibliografia
- Bonfil, R. Justificación técnica para la inclusión la raya diablo chilena (Mobula tarapacana) en la categoría de riesgo Amenazada
- ”Sumérjase en el fascinante mundo de las rayas” Disponible en: https://www.fishipedia.es/pez/type/raie
- Diving in Canarias – Sergio Hanquet
Which species of rays are there in Tenerife?
You can find 6 different types of rays in Tenerife:
- The Stingray (Common Stingray, Roughtail Stingray and Yellow Stingray)
- The Eagle Ray
- The Bull Ray
- The Devil Ray
- The Marbled Electric Ray
- The Butterfly Ray
Although the Marbled Electric Ray and the Devil Ray are very rare to spot, all the other types of rays are seen daily in Tenerife, mainly by scuba divers. Let’s dig a bit deeper into each characteristic of each species of rays.
Stingrays
What is a Stingray?
Like sharks, stingrays belong to a class of animals called elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their boneless skeletons made of cartilage, the same semi-flexible protein that gives human ears their shape.
The stingrays’ flat body allows it to settle to the bottom of the ocean, river, or lake, camouflaging itself from predators swimming above while hunting prey on the bottom. When they feel like moving, most rays swim by undulating their bodies like a wave; others flap their sides like wings. The tail can also be used for maneuvering in the water, but its primary purpose is protection.
The ray’s coloration commonly reflects the shading of the seabed, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays. Their flattened bodies are made up of pectoral fins attached to the head and trunk with an infamous tail trailing behind.
While the ray’s eyes poke out from its dorsal side, its mouth, nostrils, and gill slits are situated on its belly. Therefore, scientists do not believe that their eyes play a significant role in hunting. Like its shark relatives, the ray is equipped with electrical sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini. Located around the ray’s mouth, these organs detect the natural electrical charges of potential prey. Many rays have teeth in their jaws that allow them to crush shellfish such as clams, oysters, and mussels.
How big are they?
Stingrays range in size from as small as a dinner plate to as large as 5 meters (16.5 feet) long, including the tail, some freshwater stingray specimens have been known to weigh up to 590 Kg. (1,300 pounds).
Are stingrays dangerous?
Yes and no, Stingrays have tails that often have a serrated barb or sting filled with toxins. If a stingray feels threatened, it may raise its barbed tail and injure potential predators. This sting, and the teeth are the only fossil that you can find from a stingray.
It is not often that stingrays attack humans, but be careful where you step!
What do stingrays eat?
The stingrays feed on mollusks, crustaceans they find in the bottom, they also eat carrion and even small fish.
Where can we find them?
These are sedentary fish that live on sandy sea-beds. They almost always remain motionless, or ever half-buried on the sand.
In Tenerife we can find 2 species of Stingrays! The first one is known as “Chuchos”
Common Stingray
-Chucho-
The common stingray (Dasyatis Pastinaca) prefers shallow but sandy and muddy coastal habitat. The pectoral fin is diamond-shaped but wider than long and plain colored body.
This ray is the whip-like tail that folds into the upper and lower flippers in addition to its smooth skin, painful but not life-threatening sting and slightly bulging snout.
Common rays have a total width of 46 to 140 cm (18 to 55 in) and a total disc length of 37 to 113 cm (14.6 to 44.5 in). The typical weight of the common stingray is in the range of 14 Kg to 32 kg (31 to 70.5 pounds). Common stingrays have a lifespan of between 15 and 21 years.
Roughtail Stingray
-Chucho-
The roughtail Stingray (Dasyatis centroura) has a diamond-shaped body and a long tail sticking out from its rear. Its whip-like tail has many rows of poisonous spikes and can grow up to 2.5 times the length of its body. Its body color varies from dark brown to an olive hue. The underside is white, while the tail is black. Roughtail stingray do not have a dorsal fin and their snout is quite long and angular. They generally reside in marine and brackish waters and prefer areas with sandy bottoms.
Rougthtail stingrays have an average width of 1.5 m, while females have an average width of 1.6 m. The length of its disk can reach 2.2 m (87.01 inch), and they can weith 300Kg (660.79 lb.). There is not to much information about the longevity of this rays but they live about 70 years, some live more than 100 years.
Yellow Stingray
-Raya Amarilla-
Yellow stingrays (Urobatis jamaicensis) have a round pectoral fin disc and a short tail with a well-developed caudal fin. It has a highly variable but distinctive dorsal. The pectoral disc is no more than 1.3 times as wide as it is long. Their dorsal skin can be smooth or covered with denticles or spines and yellow colored. They have no dorsal fin. This bottom-dwelling species habits sandy, muddy, or seagrass bottoms in shallow inshore waters.
Yellow stingrays can reach no more than 36 cm (14 in) across with a weigth of 5kg (12 lb) and live for almost 70 years.
Eagle Ray
-Ratón-
The Eagle Ray (Myliobatis Aquila) is characterized by its long, slender tail with a large spine, a single dorsal fin, and a triangular pectoral fin that makes the fish reflect a rhomboid. It also has a more striking head that can be clearly distinguished from its body. This ray does not always remain on the bottom. The sharp spine at the base of the tail may look dangerous but is harmless.
Eagle rays have a total width between 61-84 cm (24″-33″) and a total disc length of 37-52 cm (14.6″-20.5″). The typical weight of the eagle ray is in the range of 11 to 32 pounds (5 to 14.5 kg). Common eagle rays have a life expectancy of between 15 to 20 years.
Bull Ray
-Obispo-
The bull ray (Pteromylaeus bovinus) is similar to the eagle ray, but bigger. The most striking feature for identifying it is its tiger-striped coloring on the back. Its long, pointed pectoral fins separated into two lobes that helps to create their domed heads. It is more active than other rays, and also timider in the presence of divers. In general, you can see it swimming a few meters above the sea-bed. Bull rays are carnivores that feed on invertebrates, crabs, hermit crabs and small squids.
Adult bull rays have a total width between 0.70 to 1.5 m (2.5 to 5 ft) and the typical weight is in the range 5 to 115 kg (12 to 250 lb).
Devil Ray
-Raya Diablo-
The devil ray (Mobula Mobular) has thin but long tails covered by spiny bumps and has one set of fins. Its distinctive features include a mouth on its head, which is large and wide, and a pair of cephalic fins curled to resemble horns. This ray prefers to swim in open waters often accompanied by an escort of pilot fish and they feed mostly on plankton. It is one of the fish with the lowest reproductive potential that exists, because it usually has only 2 to 3 offspring per year, which makes it a vulnerable species.
Devil Ray has a total width between 2 -5m (9′-17′) and a total body length of 1,5 -3 m (5.3′-10.17′). The typical weight of the Devil Fish is in the range of 300-360 kg (661-794 lb). Devil fish have a life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years.
Marbled Electric Ray
-Torpedo-
The marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata) has a pectoral fin disc which is short and rounded. Its tail is thick, displaying a pair of dorsal fins of relatively equal size and large tail fins. This solitary but nocturnal predator ambushes the prey but in defense or attack mode, it produces an electric shock, for that its name. This ray is capable of producing 70–80 volts of electricity!
The Marbled Electric Ray has an overall width between 20-41 cm (8” and 16”) and an overall length of 30-60 cm (12”-24”). The typical weight of the Common Torpedo is in the range of 5-10 kg (11-22 lb). The marbled electric ray has a useful life of between 10 and 15 years.
Butterfly Ray
-Mantelina-
The butterfly rays (Gymnura altavela) are caracterized by their extremely wide pectoral fins that resemble the wings of a butterfly, and short tails. They live on the bottom, in open sandy areas, and very often they go unnoticed because they completly buried in the sand. They feed on a variety of invertebrates, fish, and other small organisms. Some have a poisonous spine on their short tails, but butterfly rays are considered much less dangerous than long-tailed rays.
Butterfly ray has an overall width between 40-50 cm (13” and 16”) and an overall length of 1,5 – 2 m (40”-80”). The weight of the Butterfly Ray is around 30-60kg (65-130 lb).
The Canary islands are well known as one of the best destination for diving in Europe, its huge variety of submarine environments allows it to has a lot of different marine flora and fauna. Now that you know a bit more about the rays we can encounter here, I hope you are even more excited to jump into the water and get to meet them!
Rodrigo Fano
Bibliografia
- Bonfil, R. Justificación técnica para la inclusión la raya diablo chilena (Mobula tarapacana) en la categoría de riesgo Amenazada
- ”Sumérjase en el fascinante mundo de las rayas” Disponible en: https://www.fishipedia.es/pez/type/raie
- Diving in Canarias – Sergio Hanquet
