- A. Reitsma. Aquarium of the Pacific
- One of our bat rays that can be touched.
The triangular shaped pectoral fins of the bat ray are often called the wings and compared to those of a bat, hence the common name. These rays swim gracefully by flapping their bat-like pectoral fins bird style. The fins are also used to hunt food. The rays flap their pectoral fins in the sand to expose buried prey and then use their lobelike snout to dig prey from their sandy bottom habitats.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
Oregon to the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez)
- Amazing Facts
While not aggressive, bat rays can inflict a painful wound with their venomous spine. When entering waters where there may be rays, swimmers are advised to shuffle their feet through the sand, movements which cause buried rays to move away. The walk-in-the-water is called a “ray shuffle”.
- At the Aquarium
These rays live in the Aquarium's Blue Cavern and Ray Touch Pool. The Touch Pool rays get periodic “manicures.” Aquarists clip their spines not with manicure scissors, but with wire cutters. The spines are made of keratin, the same substance as human fingernails.
