Cownose Ray

The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species of ray. It gets it's name from the shape of it's head because it looks like a cow's nose. To find their prey, they will either flap there fins to stir up the sand, or they will move the sand around with their snouts. Once they have located there prey, they will rapidly flap their fins to reveal their prey. Cownose rays will migrate by the thousands from the Gulf of Mexico, and up the east side of the U.S.. Their natural predators include cobia and sharks. They are not commercially fished by people. However, the Virginia Sea Grant at VIMS is trying to persuade people to start eating cownose rays because a main part of their diet is oysters. But since cownose rays usually only have one pup at a time, it could cause a decrease in the population like the thylacines did. Cownose rays are commonly kept in touch tanks in aquariums. I don't think that I have ever been to a stingray touch tank where they did not have cownose rays.

Mandarin Dragonet

The mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus), is a tropical from the family Callionymidae. Mandarin dragonets go by many different names including mandarin goby and mandarin fish. They usually live in small groups in the wild. Mandarin dragonets produce a thick mucus that covers them and is toxic to whatever might try to eat it. Mandarin dragonets will dull in color when they are going to rest at night. Mandarin dragonets are popular in marine pet stores, despite the fact that they are difficult to feed because they eat amphipods and other small invertebrates.