The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a large, strikingly-colored ray. It is also known as the bishop ray, bonnet skate, duckbill ray, eagle ray, lady ray, leopard ray, mottled eagle ray, skate, spotted bonnetray, spotted duckbill ray, spotted stingray, spotted eagleray, spotted whipray, sunfish, whip, whip moray, whip ray, and white-spotted eagle ray.

The spotted eagle ray's genus name Aetobatus is from the Greek words for aeto ("eagle") and batis ("ray").

The species name narinari is thought to be from a Brazilian or Indian word meaning "stingray".

These rays swim by "flapping" their wings, and are also capable of leaping out of the water. They are also said to put up a good fight when caught by fishermen.

Description and Identification:

The body of a spotted eagle ray, not including the tail, can be over 8 feet long. With the tail, it can be 16 feet in length. These rays can be over 9 feet wide and the maximum recorded weight is 507 pounds (Source: FLMNH).

These rays have striking coloration of lighter spots or circles (white, yellow, light green or bluish-white) against a black, dark gray or brown background of smooth skin. The pattern of spots on an eagle ray's skin can be used by scientists to identify individual rays. The spotted eagle ray has a white ventral surface.

Spotted eagle rays have a long, whip-like tail that is darkly colored. The tail may be 2-3 times as long as the body is wide. This tail has up to 7 barbed spines that can be used for defense.

While the ray usually shies away from humans, the venomous spines can be dangerous if the ray is provoked.

Spotted eagle rays have a broad snout, large spiracles, and a duckbill-shaped lobe at the front of their head. They have a small dorsal fin and pelvic fins at the posterior end (back end) of their body.

Classification:

• Kingdom:Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Superclass: Gnathostoma
• Superclass: Pisces
• Class: Elasmobranchii
• Subclass: Neoselachii
• Infraclass: Batoidea
• Order: Rajiformes
• Family: Myliobatidae
• Subfamily: Myliobatinae
• Genus: Aetobatus
• Species: narinari

The classification of species of spotted eagle ray are still being discussed. It is thought that there are at least 4 separate species of spotted eagle ray, including possibly two different species (rays with broad and narrower discs) in the Philippines, and possibly distinctive Atlantic and Indo-Pacific forms.

Habitat and Distribution:

Spotted eagle rays live in tropical and subtropical waters over coral reefs, and in bays and estuaries, in areas of up to about 200 feet deep. It may be found individually or in schools.

Spotted eagle rays may travel, but are thought to show high site fidelity (returning to the same location). They are found in the U.S. from North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and Hawaii. Their range also includes the waters of the Caribbean, Bermuda down to Brazil, the area from the Gulf of California to the Galapagos Islands, the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Australia (including the Great Barrier Reef), the Red Sea, and South Africa.

Feeding:

Spotted eagle rays have hard dental plates in their upper and lower jaw that they use to crush their prey, which includes whelks, clams, oysters, shrimp, octopus, squid, sea urchins and bony fish. They have papillae on their upper and lower jaw that remove the shells of their prey. They may use their bills as "shovels" to search for prey in the ocean bottom.

Reproduction:

Spotted eagle rays are sexually mature at 4-6 years. They mate in the water, with males grasping a female and rolling her over, then inserting a clasper into the female. Mating takes 30-90 seconds, and females may mate with multiple males. Spotted eagle rays are ovoviviparous - the eggs develop and hatch inside the mother's body, and are nourished by a yolk sac. The gestation period is about 12 months, after which 1-4 pups are born. The pups are 6-14 inches wide at birth.

Conservation:

Spotted eagle rays are listed as "near threatened" on the IUCN Red List, which states that this status could change as the number of spotted eagle ray species are clarified.

Threats to spotted eagle rays include fishing, bycatch, and collection for exhibit in aquariums. The flesh of these rays is not eaten, but they may be used for oil and fishmeal. In the U.S., spotted eagle rays are protected from landing, harvesting, or sale in Florida.

Natural threats include sharks (including the great hammerhead and silvertip sharks) and parasites.

References and Further Information:

• Bailly, N. 2013. Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2013) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species, March 11, 2013.
• Bester, C. Spotted Eagle Ray. Florida Museum of Natural History. Accessed March 11, 2013.
• Government of Bermuda, Ministry of Environment and Planning. Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari). Accessed March 11, 2013.
• Gudger, E.W. 1914 History of the Spotted Eagle Ray, Aetobatus Narinari, Together with a Study of Its External Structures. Papers from the Marine Biological Laboratory at Tortugas. Carnegie Institution of Washington. Tortugas Laboratory, page 306.
• Kyne, P.M., Ishihara, H, Dudley, S.F.J. & White, W.T. 2006. Aetobatus narinari. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. . Accessed March 11, 2013.