Types of skates and their way of life

Fish stingray - an ancient inhabitant of the water depths. These mysterious creatures, together with sharks (their closest relatives) are the oldest inhabitants of the sea kingdom. Skates have a lot of interesting features, which, in fact, differ from other representatives of the fauna living in the water.

The scientists came to the conclusion that even in the past, the ancestors of sharks and rays were not much different in the structure of the bodies. But still millions of years have made these animals different from each other.

Scat: what kind of

Rays are related to the isotope of the lamellar cartilaginous fishes, which charge five orders and fifteen families. The modern fish of the stingray (it can be clearly seen in the photo of the animal) is characterized by an incredibly flat body and a head that has grown together with the pectoral fins, which gives this creature an interesting and possibly fantastic appearance. The color of this animal depends mainly on its habitat:

• Sea water;
• Fresh water.

The structure of the body of the ramp

The color of the upper body of the rays can be light (sandy), colorful (with interesting ornamentation), and also dark. Thanks to this coloration, they can quietly mask themselves, merging with the surrounding space and becoming almost invisible to other animals. As for the lower part of the body of these creatures, as a rule, it is light, almost white. On the inside of the ramp are the organs, mouth and nostrils, gills (five pairs). The tail of the marine inhabitants has a threadlike shape.

The types of skates are very different in both size and behavior. The size of this species of animal varies from a couple of centimeters to several meters. The wingspan can reach more than two meters (for example, ramps from the family of eagles). Electric skates have their own important feature in the form of weapons. They paralyze the victim with the help of electric discharges, which produce all kinds of rays, but only 220 volts in volume. This discharge is enough to not only paralyze some parts of the human body, but also lead to death.

Detachments

Most types of skates are benthic and eat shellfish, crayfish. Pelagic species use plankton and small fish. Let's figure out what groups scientists give out:

• Electric;
• Sawlogs;
• Ramp-shaped;
• Caudal.

Different types of stingrays can be found in the most diverse places of our globe. They are found in Antarctica and in the Arctic Ocean. If you want to see the flying stingray with your own eyes, then go to the coast of Australia, there are more than enough of them. The most diverse types of skates, photos of which are presented in this article, fully disclose the entire history of their existence and modern life.

Unique respiratory system

Carpets-planes of the underwater world are the fish of the stingray. The species of these animals are unique in nature, because they have a different respiratory system than other fishes that breathe with gills. Air passes into the body of the rays through special sprays located on the back. These devices are protected by a special valve. If it happens that a foreign object gets into them, the sting moves away from it by the method of releasing a stream of water from the spray.

On the motion of the rays are like butterflies. To move, they do not use the tail, as do other fish. They move with fins.

Distinctive features

All the slopes differ, firstly, in size. In nature, fish are known for only a couple of centimeters, and skates, whose size reaches seven meters. In addition, the behavior of each species is completely different. Some of them do not mind jumping over the surface of the water, while others prefer to burrow into the sand and quietly rest.

Fish stingray - a predatory animal, the main food are the following marine life:

• salmon;
• Sardines;
• Capelin;
• Octopus;
• Crabs.

The skates are so diverse that even in hunting, each one uses a different weapon - something that nature has awarded him. Electric, after catching prey, wraps her fins and beats an electric shock, waiting for her death. A thorny-tailed kills the victim with the help of his tail, studded with pinches, which he pierces into the enemy. To eat shellfish and crustaceans, they resort to the help of protruding plates, which replace their teeth, they also grind their food. As to reproduction, some of the species are viviparous, while others lay eggs in special natural capsules.

Sea rays: species

1. Orlyak - from the family of large fish, lead a pelagic way of life. These large creatures freely swim in the open sea and in tropical regions. Orlyak rays are moved with the help of undulating swings of their wings - fins. Manty and morobes filter water from plankton.
2. Hvostokye have sharp spines on the entire surface of the body. The tail of these fish secretes a poisonous secret, which makes it possible to strike them deadly. The poison that penetrates the wound can cause tachycardia, vomiting, severe pain and lowering of pressure, paralysis.
3. Guitar reminds the kind of sharks, but they have gills, which relates them to the slopes. They use the tail for movement, as the sharks resemble. They feed on small fish and shellfish. The victims are thrown from above, pressed down to the ground and then eaten.
4. Gneusovye - a family of electric rays, there are about 40 species. They are inactive, swim very slowly, as a rule, lie on the bottom, buried in the sand. If the prey swam close, one electric shock is enough to stun it, and then to eat. Electric discharges they use for defense.
5. Narcine - slow bottom fish, produce no more than 37 volts. They live in temperate latitudes, like closed sandy bays near coral reefs, river mouths.
6. The pilothouse includes seven species of fish-saws. In general, they resemble sharks, they live in tropical places. They feed on schooling fish. When burst into a flock of sardines, they beat the fish with a saw, like a sword, and after that pick up the prey from the bottom. For a person does not carry danger.

Characteristic and uniqueness

How many kinds of skates exist on Earth? In total, they number about 600, but most of them live in salt water: seas and oceans.

Consider those who live in freshwater:

1. The sea devil is an animal of a large size, weighing up to a couple of tons. It was he who spurred the sailors to compose the most incredible and creepy legends. Imagine for a second how a creature weighs 2 tons from the water, and in a moment goes back to the depths. Despite the fact that it is the largest slope, it has no electrical force, and there are also no spines and teeth. And the elongated tail is also not armed with anything. Despite his name, he is good-natured and does not touch people at all.
2. The electric ramp is also called marble. Dangerous and terrible fish, the cells of which produce electricity in the size of 220 volts. This type of fish is known for a long time, its size is 1.5 meters in length and 1 meter in width. Weights from 25-30 kg, the upper part of the body is decorated with white and brown veins, due to which its shades can vary. The female of an electric stingray at a time can give birth to 14 toddlers. If they are in any danger, she hides them for a while in her mouth until the threat passes. These fish have an incredible feature that can make any fish fixed.
3. The spiny-tailed scat called the name from its tail. His fish pierce into another victim, and after the perfect pulls back. The skate releases its weapons only when he hears the danger. The ration of food includes shellfish, crayfish, which he grinds not with his teeth, but with platinum.

Unusual fish

When such an unusual and bright fish flies by the person, this makes an indelible impression. On Earth, there are a variety of types of skates. Their names often reflect their way of life. Rays are the real butterflies of the seas and oceans, which delight the eye with their unusual beauty.