Skates & Rays
Skates and rays are both
cartilaginous fishes that are related to the
sharks.
Skates & Rays
All members have enlarged pectoral fins that are used for swimming
much like birds in flight.
Skates & Rays
Also, all members are
bottom-dwellers and
have their mouths on their
underside or ventral surface.
Skates & RaysSkates, like the local clearnose skate, are fairly
small compared to the stingrays.
Rays are rarely over 2.5 feet
long.
Skates & Rays
Stingrays, on the other hand, can
weigh in the hundreds of
pounds.
Skates & Rays
Stingrays have sharp spines
on their elongate tails,
while skates do not.
Skates & RaysThese spines
are not only poisonous, but
they are covered with
backward pointing barbs, much like a fish
hook.
Skates & Rays
The greatest danger,
however, is from infection if stepped on not
from the poison.
Skates & Rays
Skates tend to have a tail with a small dorsal
fin near the end of its tail,
while the stingray’s tail is long and thin.
Skates & Rays
Both stingrays and skates are bottom feeders where they eat crustaceans, mollusks, and other benthic organisms.
Skates & Rays
Skates lay eggs like this egg case below. These can
often be found along our
ocean and bay beaches.
Skates & Rays
Stingrays usually give birth to
their offspring and do not lay
eggs
Skates & RaysCertain types of
stingrays can often be seen
near the surface with
their two pectoral fins
out of the water.