The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England to southern Brazil (the East Atlantic ones are now generally considered a separate species, the Lusitanian cownose ray (R. marginata)). These rays also belong to the order Myliobatiformes, a group that is shared by bat rays, manta rays, and eagle rays.
Cownose rays prefer to live in shallower, coastal waters or estuaries. Rays feed upon organisms with harder shells, such as clams, crustaceans, or mollusks. Few conservation strategies or efforts have been undertaken for cownose rays.
Taxonomy
The generic name Rhinoptera comes from the Ancient Greek words for nose (') and wing ('). The specific name bonasus comes from the Ancient Greek for bison ().
Description
A cownose ray typically has a brown back with a slightly white or yellow belly. Although its coloration is not particularly distinctive, its shape is easily recognizable. It has a broad head with wide-set eyes, and a pair of distinctive lobes on its subrostral fin. It also has a set of dental plates designed for crushing clam and oyster shells. Male rays often reach about in width, while females typically reach about in width.
When threatened, the cownose ray can use the barb at the base of its tail to defend itself from the threat.
Habitat and distribution
Cownose rays are migratory and social creatures and reside on the East Coast of the United States, Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico. The rays to have the potential to change habitats if one area gets too crowded and competition for resources is high. Feeding occurs in the benthic zone or at the bottom of the ocean.left|thumb|upright|Cownose rays swimming in shallows in the Gulf of Mexico
Reproduction and lifespan
Cownose rays breed from April through October. Their migration pattern moves north in late spring and south in late Fall.
Few conservation strategies or efforts have been taken for cownose rays, except cownose ray-killing contests have been banned in Maryland. Also, a risk exists from eating meat from the sea animal that has not been prepared correctly. Shigella bacteria may be acquired from eating flesh from a contaminated cownose ray, which causes shigellosis and can result in dysentery. Symptoms can include diarrhea, pain, fever, and possible dehydration.
Aquariums
thumb|The underside of a cownose ray
Cownose rays can be seen in many public aquaria worldwide and are often featured in special "touch tanks" where visitors can reach into a wide but shallow pool containing the fish, which have often had their barbs pinched or taken off (they eventually regrow, similar to human nails), making them safe enough to touch.
These aquariums and zoos are known to have touch tanks featuring cownose rays (alone or with other fish):
US
- Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey
- Albuquerque Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Aquarium of Boise in Boise, Idaho
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona
- Atlantic City Aquarium in Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California
- Butterfly House and Aquarium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois
- California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California
- Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland
- Children's Aquarium at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio
- Denver Zoo in Denver, Colorado
- Downtown Aquarium, Denver in Denver, Colorado
- Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Fresno, California
- Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia
- Greensboro Science Center in Greensboro, North Carolina
- Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida
- Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska
- IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers, Florida
- Indianapolis Zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida
- Jungle Reef in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Kansas City Zoo in Kansas City, Missouri
- Living Shores Aquarium in Glen, New Hampshire
- Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, New York
- Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida
- Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet, Florida
- Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut
- Memphis Zoo and Aquarium in Memphis, Tennessee
- Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport, Mississippi
- Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida
- Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut
- National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa
- The New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts
- New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, New York
- Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky
- North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores in Emerald Isle, North Carolina
- Ocean Adventures in Gulfport, Mississippi
- OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Arizona
- Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, Arizona
- Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch in Picacho, Arizona
- Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
- Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri
- San Antonio Aquarium in San Antonio, Texas
- SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida
- Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas
- Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois
- Shreveport Aquarium in Shreveport, Louisiana
- South Carolina Aquarium, in Charleston South Carolina
- Tarpon Springs Aquarium in Tarpon Springs, Florida
- Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas
- The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Florida
- Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio
- Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida (The Rays Touch Tank)
- Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey
- Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri
- ViaAquarium in Rotterdam, New York
- Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Canada
- Aquarium of Quebec in Quebec City
- Granby Zoo in Granby
- Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in Toronto, Ontario
- The Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba