Ray or Stingray or Skate

Clearnosed skate at the Mote Marine Laboratory

 Sometimes, it is difficult to tell the difference between stingrays, skates and rays. There are about 500 species of rays, stingrays, and skates. Skates are very easy to tell apart from the stingrays and rays. They never have barbs, most have spines on their back and tail, and their tails are much thicker than either the rays or stingrays.



 

Atlantic stingray at the Florida Aquarium

Stingrays and different then rays for many reasons. Stingrays usually are on the sea floor, their barb is farther away from their body, they usually have rounder fins, and stingrays will cover themselves with sand to hide from predators.

Cownose ray at the Mote Marine Laboratory

Rays swim around in the water, their spines are at the base of their tail (accept the devil rays and manta rays who have no spines), they have more "wing-like" fins then stingrays, and their species are easier to tell apart. Like the manta rays, the cownose rays, the spotted eagle rays, and the bat ray. Once you know the differences between stingrays and rays, it will become very easy to tell them apart.