It’s many names Common name- Stingray Scientific name- Dasyatis Fluviorum Kingdom- Animalia Phylum- Chordata Class- Chondrichtheyes Size and Habitat Size- Varity of sizes up to 14ft. From 1-750 lbs. Habitat-Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of temperate seas. They spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand, often moving only with the sway of the tide Distribution Worldwide tropical and subtropical waters. Their main contact area with humans is in very shallow water. When did they evolve? Stingrays have evolved from sharks for the past thousands of years. Habits Feeding The major part of the stingray's diet consists of worms, carrion, squid and crustaceans. The stingrays' mouth is on it's underside of it's body, which enables it to dig crabs and shrimp out of the sea bed. The stingray's teeth are primarily used for cracking the shells of it’s prey. Breeding Some rays lay eggs while others reproduce giving birth to live young that develop in the womb without a placenta. Fertilization is always internal. Rays have a long gestation period and produces relatively few young compared to other fish. The growth of ray populations, therefore, is slow. Statistics 5,000 stingray attacks are reported each year in the United States. There have now been two deaths reported in Australia after the barb of the stingray penetrated the heart. At least 17 fatalities from stingrays have occurred worldwide, including New Zealand, Surinam, West Atlantic, Texas, Fiji, California, Australia, and many more from a fresh-water species in Colombia. Humans use Can be huge tourist attractions Ancient Greek dentists used the venom from the stingray's spine as an anesthetic. Interesting Info The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays. The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays Quiz! What phylum does the stingray belong to? How much can a stingray weigh? What is one thing that a stingray’s diet consists of? How may species of stingrays are there? What did ancient Greek dentists used the venom from the stingray's spine for? Answer Key Chordata 1 to 750 pounds Worms, carrion, squid and crustaceans ( one of these) 98 species An anesthetic The End