Not the prettiest thing on the reef, the Southern Stingray, is the definition of poetry in motion.... once it comes up off the bottom and starts to fly.They have a flattened, diamond-shaped body, that varies between olive brown and green.
The wing-like pectoral fins are used to propel the stingray across the ocean bottom.
The slender tail has a long, serrated and has a poisonous spine at the end.
This spine is used for defense.... and while not fatal to humans, it does deliver an incredibly painful sting if stepped on.
The Southern Stingray is an opportunistic forager .... feeding on small crustaceans, shrimp and crabs.
It feeds by flapping the wing-like pectoral fins to disturb the sand and expose it's prey.
They range from New Jersey to Brazil and are typically found singly or in pairs.... except in the summer months when they migrate in schools to higher latitudes.
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