bat ray
- Thread starter fastazzr1
- Start date
shrimpi
Active Member
found this on the net
Myliobatis californica
Bat Ray
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Myliobatidae
Genus: Myliobatis
species: Myliobatis californica
Full Taxonomy (ITIS)
Bat Ray Photo Gallery
Description & Behavior
The bat ray, Myliobatis californica (Gill, 1865), a member of the eagle ray Myliobatidae family, is a light brown to black ray with a white underbelly. It grows up to 1.2-1.85 m in length and weighs up to 90 kg. The wing span reaches up to 1.85 m from tip to tip. Males are typically smaller than females (sexually dimorphic).
This ray has at least one venomous spine located near the base of the tail behind the dorsal fin; some have up to 3 spines. Bat rays can live for up to 23 years. They have been observed both solitary and schooling, with some schools containing thousands of individuals.
One million year old bat ray fossils have been found in Pliocene deposits.
World Range & Habitat
Bat rays prefer shallow intertidal waters and sandy areas in bays and estuaries. They can also be found near reefs and kelp beds. Like other ray species, they are sometimes found buried in the sand.
They are native to the eastern Pacific from Oregon, USA to the Gulf of California and the Galápagos Islands.
» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips]
» Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | OBIS-SEAMAP | [about]
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Bat rays hunt for prey by lifting themselves up and down on their wings creating suction in the sand. This exposes invertebrates such as bivalves, molluscs, polychaetes, shrimps, and crabs. They have short flat teeth used to chew the shells of bivalves and snails.
As bat rays feed, they expose other buried organisms that are then fed upon by smaller fishes in the area.
Life History
Bat rays are an ovoviviparous species. Eggs are fertilized internally and litters of up to 10 are born live, usually in summer or fall, following a gestation period of 1 year.
Male bat rays select a mate then determine her reproductive state by swimming closely behind her to detect chemical signals. If a female is ready for mating, the male swims underneath her with his back to her belly, and rotates a clasper to position it near her cloaca. During copulation the pair swims together with synchronized beats of their wings. Females group together during mating season and assist the males in the selection of a suitable mate by protecting sexually immature females and females that have already mated.
Ovoviviparous: eggs are retained within the body of the female in a brood chamber where the embryo develops, receiving nourishment from a yolk sac. This is the method of reproduction for the "live-bearing" fishes where pups hatch from egg capsules inside the mother's uterus and are born soon afterwards. Also known as aplacental viviparous.
Comments
The spine(s) of these rays are venomous. Bat rays are not fished commercially; however, they are sometimes caught as bycatch.
Myliobatis californica
Bat Ray
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Myliobatidae
Genus: Myliobatis
species: Myliobatis californica
Full Taxonomy (ITIS)
Bat Ray Photo Gallery
Description & Behavior
The bat ray, Myliobatis californica (Gill, 1865), a member of the eagle ray Myliobatidae family, is a light brown to black ray with a white underbelly. It grows up to 1.2-1.85 m in length and weighs up to 90 kg. The wing span reaches up to 1.85 m from tip to tip. Males are typically smaller than females (sexually dimorphic).
This ray has at least one venomous spine located near the base of the tail behind the dorsal fin; some have up to 3 spines. Bat rays can live for up to 23 years. They have been observed both solitary and schooling, with some schools containing thousands of individuals.
One million year old bat ray fossils have been found in Pliocene deposits.
World Range & Habitat
Bat rays prefer shallow intertidal waters and sandy areas in bays and estuaries. They can also be found near reefs and kelp beds. Like other ray species, they are sometimes found buried in the sand.
They are native to the eastern Pacific from Oregon, USA to the Gulf of California and the Galápagos Islands.
» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips]
» Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | OBIS-SEAMAP | [about]
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Bat rays hunt for prey by lifting themselves up and down on their wings creating suction in the sand. This exposes invertebrates such as bivalves, molluscs, polychaetes, shrimps, and crabs. They have short flat teeth used to chew the shells of bivalves and snails.
As bat rays feed, they expose other buried organisms that are then fed upon by smaller fishes in the area.
Life History
Bat rays are an ovoviviparous species. Eggs are fertilized internally and litters of up to 10 are born live, usually in summer or fall, following a gestation period of 1 year.
Male bat rays select a mate then determine her reproductive state by swimming closely behind her to detect chemical signals. If a female is ready for mating, the male swims underneath her with his back to her belly, and rotates a clasper to position it near her cloaca. During copulation the pair swims together with synchronized beats of their wings. Females group together during mating season and assist the males in the selection of a suitable mate by protecting sexually immature females and females that have already mated.
Ovoviviparous: eggs are retained within the body of the female in a brood chamber where the embryo develops, receiving nourishment from a yolk sac. This is the method of reproduction for the "live-bearing" fishes where pups hatch from egg capsules inside the mother's uterus and are born soon afterwards. Also known as aplacental viviparous.
Comments
The spine(s) of these rays are venomous. Bat rays are not fished commercially; however, they are sometimes caught as bycatch.
sharkboy13
Active Member
i think as w/most rays they cant be kept w/ triggers or puffers, w/ a fairly large ray such as that i would have to say a pond is in order (1,500-2,000)
brenden
Member
Fastazzr1 - Bat Rays, just like all elasmobranches should not be help in systems with Triggers, Angels, Butterflies, and Puffers. Some other great tankmates would be Tangs,Groupers, Clowns, Eels, Sharks, Squirrl Fish, ect.
As for Bat Ray specifics, they get fairly large. I would recommend a system around 16'x10'x3' which is probable around 3,500 - 4,000 gallon range. If you would like more information, a moderator on another forum has alot of experience with them.*******is the name of the forum. If you need more information check it out, if not good luck if you decided to go with it.
Please do not promote any forum here its against the forum rules!~
As for Bat Ray specifics, they get fairly large. I would recommend a system around 16'x10'x3' which is probable around 3,500 - 4,000 gallon range. If you would like more information, a moderator on another forum has alot of experience with them.*******is the name of the forum. If you need more information check it out, if not good luck if you decided to go with it.
Please do not promote any forum here its against the forum rules!~
brenden
Member
I would say so yes. This forum has very sensetive rules against the discussion of other websites. Which is odd becasue most the time its to benefit others. Maybe its the fact they feel threatened but in the end its only to benefit the hobby. Which they should be opting for. Anyways feel free to email me and I can help you out a little more if you would like.