Last week a rather large ‘fever’ of stingrays was filmed flocking off the coast of Tampa Bay Florida. Yes I said fever! The rays, thought to be Cownose rays migrate north from Mexico each summer to the Florida coast in large groups called fevers.
The Cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species of eagle ray which is found in throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean. Adult cownose rays can grow to 1.1m in width (45 inch) and weigh nearly 23kg (50 pounds) or more.
The ray are a brown-black color with a whitish or yellowish belly, however it is not the colors which make the cownose ray particularly distinct. The cownose ray is easily recognizable by it’s broad head, with wide set eyes, and a pair of distinctive lobes on its subrostral fin. The rays also have a special set of plates in their mouth designed for crushing bivalve shells like clams, mussels and oysters.
When the cownose ray is threatened they have a specialized barb at the base of their tail built for defense. The barb has a spine with a toxin with sharp serrated edges lining its lateral sides.The spine is coated with a weak venom that causes symptoms similar to that of a bee sting.
If you are ever stung by a sting ray the first thing to do is run the affected areas under hot water, (as hot as your can handle), after which it is advised you seek medical attention.A doctor or nurse can help remove any pieces of the barb which may be left over.
The most common place people are stung by stingrays are on their feet. Stingrays like to bury themselves in sand and lay motionless on the seafloor. When you are walking through shallow water try shuffling your feet, this way rays will pick of your vibration before you get stung.
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