Biology ⁵

Commonly found in sandy and muddy bays and sloughs, also on rocky bottom and in kelp beds (Ref. 2850). Sometimes buries itself in sand (Ref. 2850). Found singly or in schools (Ref. 12951). Feeds on bivalves, snails, polychaetes, shrimps, and crabs (Ref. 9257). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Venomous spine on tail. Not fished commercially, but shows up as by-catch species (Ref. 9257).

Food habits ⁶

Bat rays are carnivorous and feed on a variety of molluscs, crustaceans, and small fishes. Diet varies with the abundance of prey locally. Juveniles eat primarily clams and shrimp. Adult bat rays eat larger prey, including larger clams, crabs, shrimp, and echiuran worms.

Bat rays use their snout to dig invertebrates from the sand, making bat rays an important benthic predator. They also capture prey by lifting the body on the pectoral fin tip, flapping the pectoral tips quickly up and down, and then using the suction created by the flapping to pull sand out from under the body, exposing hidden prey. When bat rays feed on molluscs, they eat the entire animal, crush the shell inside of the mouth, spit out the hard shell pieces, and then eat the soft part of the mollusc body. Bat rays, depending on size, may burrow with their nose deeper into the sand or mud bottoms in an effort to eat larger prey.

Animal Foods: mollusks; aquatic or marine worms; aquatic crustaceans

Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats non-insect arthropods, Molluscivore )

Habitat ⁷

Bat rays   are found living close to the shores of bays, sloughs, kelp beds and coral reefs. Bat rays prefer to live in areas with sandy or muddy bottoms for it allows easier access to food. They are most commonly found in depths reaching between 3m and 12m but have occasionally been spotted as deep as 46m.

Aquatic Biomes: reef ; coastal

Physical description ⁸

Bat rays are commonly distinguished from other rays because of their distinct, protruding head and large eyes (  a close look). They have a flat body with a dorsal fin at the base of the tail. The tail is whiplike and can be as long or longer than the width of the body. It is armed with a barbed stinger that is venomous. Bat rays are named for their two long pectoral fins that are shaped like the wings of a bat. The skin is smooth, dark brown or black and has no markings. Bat rays have a white underbelly. The skeleton is made of cartilage, instead of bone. Bat rays are usually born measuring 11.4 inches and can grow to reach 5.9 feet. Females are typically larger than males and have been found weighing up to 200 pounds. (  Details.)

Range mass: 0 to 0 kg.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ken Schneider, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ken Schneider, http://www.flickr.com/photos/zonotrichia/9489461273/
2. (c) C.V. Vick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuclearbunny/538124891/
3. (c) C.V. Vick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuclearbunny/538105040/
4. (c) devesh42, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/imperiumd001/32494304/
5. (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20978619
6. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18660007
7. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18660003
8. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18660004

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• FishBase
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

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