Cownose Ray

Common Name: Cownose Ray

Scientific Name: Rhinoptera bonasus

Diet: Clams, oysters

Range: Tropical waters in the western Atlantic Ocean

Size: Average wingspan of 3 feet, up to 50 pounds

Lifespan: Around 15 years

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Overview

Cownose rays are known to commonly visit Chesapeake Bay from May to October. Males leave the bay in June or July while the females will remain until the fall.

Geographical Distribution and Habitat

Cownose rays tend to stick to shallow coastal waters along the western Atlantic Ocean. These rays will form schools based on both sex and age as they travel.

A collection of cownose rays swimming through the Sting Ray Touch exhibit with children reaching out to touch them.

Diet

Their diet mostly consists of mollusks. Oysters, both hard- and soft-shelled clams, and the occasional bony fish are these rays’ main sources of food.

Fun Facts

The largest cownose ray ever recorded was 7 feet long from wing tip to wing tip.
Cownose rays have mildly poisonous stingers, typically only used when they feel threatened.
These rays are strong swimmers and have been seen migrating in groups of up to 10,000.