Stingray stingray (Sea cat). Stingray stingray (sea cat) Stingray body structure

On Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands, there is a place called Stingray City, named not after the singer Joanna Stingray, but because of a local landmark. Like all the settlements on the island, Stingray City is located on the seashore, and very close to it, on the sand and coral shallows, many stingrays live. The vast majority of them are stingrays, in English stingray - “stinging rays”.

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Stingrays Dasyatidae
Type chordates
Class cartilaginous fish
Superorder stingrays
Squad tail-shaped
Family stingrays

The stingray family includes 6 genera and about 60 species. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the World Ocean, in some places, mainly in areas warm currents, penetrate into the moderate ones. They live in shallow waters (from the littoral zone to 100 meters), staying near the bottom almost all the time, except for one species - Dasyatis violacea, which lives in the water column, far from the shores. By nature, they are solitary, with the exception of the breeding season or mass migrations characteristic of some species, but they are not territorial and not aggressive. They feed on crustaceans, mollusks, annelids and other benthic invertebrates, to a lesser extent fish. The body is round in shape, the pectoral fins are fused in front of the head. The color of the belly is light (white, off-white, yellowish), the back is black, brown or dark gray, in many species with numerous colored spots, stripes or rings. The tail is thin, pointed, whip-shaped, without fins or leathery outgrowths, and long in most species. In the middle part of the tail there is one or more poisonous spines. Ovoviviparous. Pregnancy lasts about a year. One litter can have from 2 to 25 cubs. Immediately after birth they lead an independent life, reaching sexual maturity in the 3rd-4th year. The maximum known lifespan is 25 years.

American stingray - Dasyatis americana - is very similar to the common one in European waters(including in the Black Sea) sea cat - Dasyatis pastinaca, but larger. However, the stingray family is not distinguished by its variety of forms at all. Together with sharks and a few more exotic groups, rays form a special class of vertebrates called cartilaginous fishes. The word “fish” is deceptive here: these animals differ from real fish, perhaps more than humans. And the name “cartilaginous” indicates their main feature: There are no bones in the body of such animals - their skeleton consists of cartilage. Stingrays are similar to sharks and have many other characteristics. cartilaginous fish signs: mouth located on the underside of the body, two rows of gill slits, a special type of nitrogen metabolism.

However, all these features are noticeable, rather, to a zoologist. But to a non-professional, a shark and a stingray, of course, will seem completely different. The shark's body - triangular in cross section, hydrodynamically perfect - evokes associations either with an airplane or with a hydrofoil boat. A stingray is like a frying pan: its flat body, from which a “handle” extends from behind - a thin and usually long tail, almost regular round in shape. Although in fact it retains a triangular cross-section, only this triangle has a greatly stretched lower side. The dorsal fin is practically absent, and the pectoral fins are very wide and fused at the edges with the head and back of the body, which gives the fish the shape of a frying pan. Even to the touch, stingrays differ sharply from their relatives. If the skin of a shark is completely covered with hard and sharp placoid scales (not much different in structure from shark teeth), then it is soft and soft skin Stingrays have no scales at all.

Such dissimilar appearances reflect differences in lifestyle. Sharks live in the water column and are in constant motion all their lives. The vast majority of stingrays, including all stingrays, live near the very bottom and usually at shallow depths, that is, in coastal zone. Barely moving the edges of its body, like the tails of a cloak, the stingray slowly swims above the very bottom in search of prey - various kinds bottom invertebrates.

This leisurely hunt is carried out literally blindly, since his eyes are located on the upper side of the body, he cannot look down in any way. But on the lower side there are nostrils, which have nothing to do with breathing and work only as an organ of smell, as well as electroreceptors that detect disturbances in the electric field caused by living beings. Of course, no matter how sensitive these organs are, they can only be used to catch slow-swimming animals. The usual prey of stingrays are crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms. Many of them are protected by a strong shell or shell, but this does not bother the hunter: its plate-shaped teeth are capable of chewing through almost any armor.

When the stingray is not busy searching for food, it simply lies on the bottom for a long time, sometimes also buried in the sand. Such a pastime is poorly compatible with the shark's method of breathing, in which water is pumped into the gills through the mouth. The stingray's mouth is pressed to the ground - it has a different pattern of water movement: it enters the pharynx through special holes - splashes, located on the upper side of the body. This allows the animal to breathe without the risk of sand clogging its gills. Of course, the power of water flow with this scheme is small, but the stingray does not need a lot of oxygen: its lifestyle does not involve long and intense muscle tension.

A slow-moving creature with delicate skin and a boneless body is too much of a temptation for sea predators, which are abundant even in shallow waters. Camouflage alone is clearly not enough for survival here, so different groups of stingrays chose various means self-defense. What strikes people's imagination the most is electric ramps, in whose body some of the muscles have turned into real electric batteries capable of delivering a discharge voltage of over 200 volts. The weapon of stingrays is a long, thin and flexible sword-tail, equipped with a sharp spike (in most species one, in some - two or even four). This spine, which is a modified placoid scale, is the only evidence that the ancestors of the stingray once had scales. It is very hard and durable, its surface is covered with back-facing serrations, and along the underside there are two grooves connected to a poisonous gland. However, stingrays use their poisoned dagger only for self-defense. An attacked or disturbed stingray delivers a swift and accurate blow with its tail towards the perceived threat. The tail wraps around the attacker, like the strap of a whip, while the spike instantly emerges from the “sheath” - the folds of skin that cover it in a calm state - and pierces the enemy’s body.

Pliny the Elder wrote that the stingray's thorn pierces even wood and armor. This is, of course, an exaggeration, but the force of the tail of a large stingray is sufficient for the spike to pierce the fabric of a wetsuit or leather shoes. The prick of the thorn is extremely painful and causes a fall blood pressure, weakness, cardiac dysfunction. If the blow hits the arm or leg (as most often happens), the limb is paralyzed for several days. Death is extremely rare, but possible. This is how the “crocodile hunter”, the famous Australian TV presenter Steve Irwin, died. On September 4, 2006, during the filming of the film “The Most dangerous inhabitants ocean" he was stung by a stingray. The spike hit him in the chest, and Irwin's heart stopped before he could be helped.

This, of course, is an exceptional case, but in general, collisions between stingrays and people are not uncommon. On the coast of North America alone, stingrays injure about 750 people a year, while the total annual number of victims worldwide is likely to be in the thousands. Most of these incidents occur due to a misunderstanding: a swimmer, wandering along the bottom, steps on a stingray lying down, merging with the ground. But fishermen also contribute to the number of people stung: in some countries, stingrays are considered a valuable game fish. For example, in Korea, the meat of stingrays is valued higher than other stingrays. It's not just people who get hit by poisoned stilettos: zoologists have found stingray spines in the lungs, chest cavity, liver and pancreas of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. At the same time, the remains of stingrays were not found in dolphin stomachs and no one has ever seen dolphins hunting stingrays. Apparently, a curious dolphin accidentally bumped into a camouflaged stingray and received a painful injection.

In principle, stingrays are so curious and non-aggressive that they can be tamed right in the sea. Hundreds of people come to the Stingray City shallows specifically to interact with the stingrays. They take pieces of fish from their hands, allow them to stroke their soft, silky bellies, or arrange for themselves something like a spa, floating above the scuba diver and bathing in the bubbles of the air he exhales. Despite the abundance of stingrays and their close contact with people, there are no injuries here. True, here the fish stay at a depth of several meters, so it’s difficult for even the most careless tourist to step on them.

A special chapter in the life of stingrays is reproduction. They (like all cartilaginous fish in general) have internal fertilization. It is preceded by a rather long courtship: the male first follows the female, then grabs the edge of her body near the head with his mouth, and she literally carries him away. At the climax, he tucks his belly under the belly of the female and presses tightly against her. At the same time, the partners do not see each other, because, as we remember, the eyes of stingrays are located on the dorsal side.

Many stingrays lay eggs - it’s somehow strange to call these large, quadrangular, leathery capsules with ribbon-like bags at the corners “caviar.” Many, but not stingrays. In this group of rays, the embryos develop inside the female's body, inside a special organ similar to the uterus of mammals. Each embryo is initially located in the egg, but leaves it as it grows. At this moment, the little stingray’s nutrition from the yolk sac ends, and it’s too early for it to go out into the world. At this stage, the walls of the uterus form special outgrowths - trophonemes, which penetrate the squirters of the embryo and through them into the digestive tract. There they secrete a special nutritious secretion (an analogue of milk), on which the future skate grows until birth. We can say that this baby feeds on its mother's milk right in the womb.

Pregnancy in stingrays lasts about a year (11-15 months depending on the species) and ends with the birth of only a few large cubs. Immediately after birth, the stingray spreads its folded “wings”, like those of a newborn butterfly, and sinks to the bottom. He already knows everything necessary for independent life: what creatures are edible, how to react to the approach of an enemy, etc. From now on, he will always rely only on himself.

Stingrays belong to the genus of cartilaginous fish; they are quite dangerous. They can harm a person and even sometimes kill him. They are very widespread and inhabit almost all seas and oceans where the water temperature is not lower than 1.5°C. Stingrays live both in shallow water and at depths of up to 2.5 km.

Stingrays of this species have a flat body. The fused pectoral fins, together with the sides of the body and the head, form an oval or diamond-shaped disc. A powerful, thick tail extends from it, at the end of which there is a poisonous spike.

It is large and grows up to 35 cm in length. The grooves on it are connected to glands that produce poison. After an attack, the thorn itself remains in the victim's body, and a new one grows in its place.

A stingray is capable of “growing” several of them throughout its life. Interestingly, the local aborigines knew about this ability of stingrays, and used these spikes instead of tips when making spears and arrows. And they even specially bred these.

The eyes of stingrays are located at the top of the body, behind them there are squirts. These are openings in the gills. Therefore, they can breathe even when completely buried in the sand. long time.

Still on the body marine stingrays there are nostrils, a mouth and 10 gill slits. The bottom of the mouth is covered with many fleshy processes, and their teeth look like thick plates arranged in rows. They are capable of opening even the strongest shells.

Like everyone else, they have sensors that react to electric fields. This helps to find and identify the victim during the hunt. The skin of stingrays is very pleasant to the touch: smooth, slightly velvety. Therefore, it was used to make drums by local tribes. Its color is dark, sometimes there is an unexpressed pattern, and its belly, on the contrary, is light.

In the photo there is a sea stingray

Among these stingrays there are also lovers of fresh water - river stingrays. They can only be found in the waters of South America. Their body is covered with scales and reaches a length of up to 1.5 meters. Their color is brown or gray, with small spots or specks.

In the photo there is a river stingray

Distinctive feature blue stingray is not only its smooth purple bodies. But also a way of moving through the water column. If other stingrays of this species move the edges of the disk in waves, this one flaps its “wings” like a bird.

In the photo there is a blue stingray

One of the types stingrays(sea cat) can be found in Black Sea. It rarely grows in length up to 70 cm. The stingray is brown-gray in color with a white belly. It is quite difficult to see him, he is shy and stays away from crowded beaches. Despite the danger, many divers dream of meeting him.

In the photo there is a stingray catfish

Character and lifestyle of stingray fish

Stingrays live in shallow water, burrowing into the sand during the day; sometimes a crevice in a rock or a depression under stones can become a resting place. They can pose a danger to humans.

Of course, they won’t attack on purpose. But if they are accidentally disturbed or stepped on, they will begin to defend themselves. The stingray begins to make sharp and strong attacks and pierces the enemy with its spike.

If it hits the heart area, almost instant death occurs. The tail muscles are so strong that the spike can easily pierce not only the human body, but also the bottom of a wooden boat.

When poison enters the body, it causes severe and burning pain at the site of injury. It will gradually subside over several days. Before the ambulance arrives, the victim needs to suck out the poison from the wound and wash it big amount sea ​​water. Similar poison as stingray, has also marine the Dragon, which is also found in the waters of the Black Sea.

To avoid becoming an accidental victim of this stingray, you need to make a loud noise and wave your legs when entering the water. This will scare away the hunter, and he will try to swim away immediately. You also need to be careful when cutting up a stingray carcass. Its poison remains dangerous to humans for a long time.

Despite all this, stingrays are very curious and obedient. They can be tamed and even hand-fed. In the Cayman Islands, there is a place for diving tourists where you can safely swim next to stingrays, in the company of professional divers and even make unique photo.

Although stingrays, by their nature, are rather solitary, they often gather in groups of more than 100 individuals near the coasts of Mexico. And they are located in shallow sea depressions, which are called “paradise”.

In European waters, these stingrays can only be seen in summer. When the water temperature drops, they swim to warmer places to “winter,” and some species simply bury themselves deep in the sand.

Stingray fish food

The stingray uses its tail only during self-defense, and it does not take any part in the hunt for prey. To catch the victim stingray slowly hovers near the bottom and slightly lifts the sand with wave-like movements. This is how he “digs out” food for himself. Thanks to its camouflage coloring, it is almost invisible during hunting and is reliably protected from its enemies.

Stingrays eat marine animals, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Larger specimens can also feast on dead fish and cephalopods. With their rows of blunt teeth, they easily chew through any shells.

Reproduction and lifespan of stingray fish

The lifespan of a stingray depends on the species. Californian individuals hold the record: females live up to 28 years. On average, this figure fluctuates around 10 in nature, in captivity it is five years longer.

Stingrays heterosexual and internal fertilization is inherent in them, like all cartilaginous fish. The choice of pair occurs by means of pheromones that the female releases into the water.

The male finds her using this trail. Sometimes several of them arrive at once, then the one who is faster than his competitors wins. During mating itself, the male sits on top of the female, and, biting her on the edge of the disc, begins to insert the pterygopodium (reproductive organ) into her cloaca.

Pregnancy lasts about 210 days, the litter can contain from 2 to 10 fry. While in the womb, they develop by feeding on yolk and protein-rich liquid. It is produced by special outgrowths located on the walls of the uterus.

They join the squirter of the embryos, and thus the nutrient fluid is delivered directly to their digestive tract. After maturation, small stingrays are born curled up into a tube and, upon entering the water, immediately begin to straighten their discs.

In the photo there is an ocellated stingray

Males reach sexual maturity by 4 years, and females by 6. Stingrays bear offspring once a year. Its time depends on the habitat of the stingrays, but always occurs during the warm period of the year.

Stingworms not in danger of extinction. They are not caught on an industrial scale. Stingrays are eaten and various diseases, including pneumonia, are treated with liver fat.

Bluespotted stingray belongs to the family of cartilaginous fish (lat. Dasyatidae) of the caudal-shaped superorder of stingrays.

This beautiful stingray has large bright blue spots on its oval body and blue stripes on the sides along the tail is found everywhere in the Red Sea. Its snout is rounded, slightly extended forward, forming a smooth acute angle. The disc is very wide, the tail at the base is thick, powerful, and towards the end it tapers, thin and pointed, about twice as large longer than body. The back is predominantly olive green with grey-brown hues, the underparts are white. The skin is smooth, without scales and numerous small spines.

On the upper surface of the tail, closer to its end, there is a sharp, flattened, dagger-like spike, the length of which can reach 37 cm. The edges of the spike are covered with rough notches. The base of the spine is attached directly to the skin and lies back on the surface of the tail with its tip. Along the lower surface of the spine there is a groove in which cells that secrete a poisonous secretion are located.

The stingray's spine is a formidable weapon and is used for defense. Large reef sharks, which are the main enemies of stingrays, often wear fragments of spines on their heads, indicating past skirmishes. The spike itself is motionless, but by acting with its tail like a whip, the stingray can deliver very powerful blows. The force of the blow is such that the spike easily pierces leather shoes or several layers of clothing and penetrates deeply into the body of a person who accidentally disturbed a stingray lying somewhere near the beach. The poison penetrating into a puncture wound is very toxic and causes sharp spasmodic pain. In this case, blood pressure drops, palpitations occur, vomiting begins, and muscle paralysis is sometimes observed. There are known cases where stingray stingray injections resulted in death.

The Indians of Central America use the thorns of stingrays to make spearheads and daggers, and cover drums with leather. The stingray's spine instills fear in fishermen; if a stingray gets caught in their net, they cut off its tail and only then release the crippled animal back into the sea. On the Internet you can find a small number of photographs of the Blue-spotted Stingray with a severed tail. For example this one:

Lives in the Indo-Pacific region: in the Red Sea, off the coast East Africa to the Solomon Islands, from the southern tip Japanese Islands to the northern coast of Australia. Leads a bottom-dwelling lifestyle, almost never rising into the water column, prefers shallow water, but is also found at depths of up to 20 meters.

Found on coral reefs, during high tides, migrates to sandy shallow waters in search of shellfish, worms, shrimp and crabs. During low tide it hides in grottoes or under coral ledges, rarely buries itself in the sand.

Small specimens of stingrays are popular among marine aquarists - several photographs of this ray were taken at the El Gouna Aquarium.

The maximum diameter of the disc does not exceed 70 cm. There are reports of giant Blue-spotted stingrays - up to 240 cm, but these are probably erroneous (FishBase.org).

The blue-spotted stingray is an ovoviviparous species. Babies developing in the womb, in addition to being nourished by the yolk of the egg, also receive royal jelly, rich in proteins, which is secreted by special outgrowths located on the walls of the uterus. Bundles of such outgrowths penetrate the sputum of the embryos, and the nutrient fluid enters directly into the digestive tract.

Stingray liver contains approximately 60% fat, rich in vitamin D. In some regions it is used in medicine and to obtain fish oil. The meat is edible; they are caught on a hook or harpooned, but it does not have wide commercial significance. In Singapore and Malaysia, stingrays are grilled over charcoal and then served with spicy sambal sauce.

Sources:

• FishBase.org
• Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
• Wikipedia

For the most part, the inhabitants of the Black Sea are harmless and do not pose a threat to people, which makes it one of the safest in the world. But some of them can cause serious harm to health, even death. How Black Sea stingray(or sea cat), which has a large poisonous spine and immediately uses it in case of danger. Graceful and dangerous fish is a frequent visitor to coastal waters and his meetings with people are regular, so it’s worth getting to know him better.

Spreading

Black Sea stingray(official name Dasyatis pastinaca ) - one of 88 members of the family, loves warm subtropical waters and is widely represented in the Eastern Atlantic, from the shores Baltic Sea to the West Coast of Africa. This is the only species that lives in the Azov and Black seas, preferring the latter.

Being a bottom-dwelling fish, it prefers sandy and muddy bottoms, where it partially buries itself for camouflage purposes. It is mainly found at shallow depths, up to 60 meters, but can migrate deeper, depending on the season and water temperature. It swims in shallow waters and to rocky shores, and sometimes swims into river mouths.

Description

The Black Sea stingray has a wide and flattened body, without bones (only cartilage, the animal is a cartilaginous fish), rounded diamond-shaped, with a slightly protruding snout. On the upper (dorsal) part there are eyes, behind which there are white sprays through which water enters the gills. They bigger size and when opening/closing it gives the impression that the fish is “blinking”. In the lower part there are gill slits and a mouth with two rows of blunt small teeth in the form of plates, from 30 to 40 pieces in each.

The stingray's body ends with a tail (in adults it is almost equal to length body, in young animals - 1.5 times more), in the central part of which a jagged spike grows, reaching 15-20 centimeters in length. With the help of ducts, poison is supplied to it, which is injected into the victim’s body during the blow. It is because of this characteristic feature that the fish received the prefix name “stalker”. At times the spikes break, so there may be 2 or 3 of them.

The thorn prick is very painful, and the symptoms resemble poisoning snake venom: malaise, cardiac arrhythmia, edema, vomiting. While not considered lethal, they can be fatal if applied to the area of ​​vital organs. Such cases are reliably known. Recovery takes several days, but injection wounds take a long time to heal.

Important! As usual, the Black Sea stingray does not attack humans, avoiding crowds of people or noise, and is shy. But if you step on it or “drive it into a corner”, trying to pull it ashore, it hits you with its tail immediately, and the force of the blow and the sharpness of the spike allows you to pierce clothes and light shoes.

The lower part of the stingray is light, dirty white, the upper part is dark, gray-brown and dirty green-olive. The body is smooth and not covered with scales. On average, its dimensions reach 60-70 centimeters in length (width is not much greater than length) and 8-10 kilograms in weight, and together with the tail from a meter, but in warmer and southern seas There are 20-kilogram specimens of 2-2.5 meters. Females are usually larger than males.

Nutrition

By the nature of its feeding, the Black Sea stingray is a predator. Its diet consists of benthic invertebrates, shrimp, shellfish and small fish. The latter occupies a small part, increasing as the slope grows. It is worth noting that the stingray spine is not used for hunting. It is intended solely for self-defense.

The stingray hunts from an ambush, which it arranges at the bottom of the sea. To do this, he lowers himself onto the soil, pressing himself as tightly as possible to it and sprinkling himself with a small amount of sand, camouflaging himself. If “for lunch” there are mussels or other mollusks with shells, then the teeth are used, easily crumbling the protection.

The stingray's favorite time to hunt is dusk or night, when it is most active. Second name - catfish– he received it precisely because of this feature. A special enzyme helps him see well at night - guanine, which forms a mirror-like layer in the eyes, which, when exposed to it, improves even the darkest and dullest picture. Combined with the ambush attack, this makes its habits very similar to the behavior of pets.

Reproduction

By the nature of reproduction, the sea cat is an ovoviviparous fish, and the fry emerges from the mother’s womb already fully adapted to life. But even here the stingray stands out. The fact is that the embryo in the egg feeds not only on the yolk, but also on the histotroph ( nutrient, similar in function and purpose to breast milk).

Small stingrays (about 8 cm “in the body” and 20 cm in length) appear in June-July, and the total period of pregnancy and gestation is up to 120 days. After birth, the tailed bells disperse throughout the water area, without subsequently showing any signs of “kinship” relationships.

The maximum lifespan of stingrays is 10 years, and in captivity they can live up to 20. They lead an isolated lifestyle, rarely gathering in large groups.

Meaning

The common stingray is not a commercial fish, since the meat does not have a particular palatability. Fish liver is prized as it contains large amounts of vitamin D and is used to make fish oil. In ancient times, poisonous thorns were used as weapon tips, and arrows were smeared with poison.

The Black Sea stingray is also used for decorative purposes, as aquarium fish, but this requires large capacities and special conditions content.

Studying marine fauna- a very exciting activity. It's not strange, because water world is still poorly understood and contains an innumerable number of amazing secrets and facts. The abysses of the World Ocean are teeming with hundreds of rare, mysterious and previously unknown creatures that amaze the imagination with their external and physiological characteristics. Ichthyologists devote decades of their lives and a lot of effort to conducting research and scientific expeditions. Fortunately, many of them are worth the cost and allow you to make incredible discoveries.

Among the most beautiful and unique sea ​​creatures The sea cat occupies a leading position. The fish belongs to the class of heat-loving cartilaginous fish from the order Stingrays, family Stingrays (stinging rays, stingrays).

About some interesting features of the species, behavior, life cycle and other subtleties we will talk about in this article.

Brief description of catfish

Representatives of the species began to be called “sea cats” because of their characteristic appearance, which is emphasized by a stem resembling a tail. The behavior of the fish is also peculiar: like pets, it loves to hunt at night in shallow water areas. In a state of calm, the sea cat buries itself in the sand and leaves a protruding stem on the surface (domestic cats do a similar thing), which greatly attracts curious residents of the local fauna.

The sea cat has diamond-shaped or rounded body, a long, thread-like tail with a jagged spine (sometimes in nature there are specimens with two spines, but this happens very rarely), as well as a naked body without spines or spines.

Unlike many other fish species, the sea stingray lacks fins, which affects unique properties swimming. Top part the disc is colored gray or olive-brown, the lower part is completely white. The average body length reaches 1-2 meters. Given proper nutritional conditions and a good food supply, individuals grow up to two and a half meters in length. Interesting feature: females are always larger than males.

Catfish habitat: main behavioral features

You can meet this amazing creature in the warm regions of the Atlantic coast, near the shores of European and African countries. Characteristic behavior presented moving in packs over long distances. Sometimes, in one flock there are more than several thousand individuals that freely “float” in the ocean abyss and look for available food.

In Russia, the animal can be found everywhere Black Sea coast and in some parts of the Sea of ​​Azov.

Fish are classified as heat-loving representatives of aquatic fauna that show traces of their activity exclusively in the summer. With the onset of autumn cold weather, they leave their favorite places and go into the depths. In most cases, the sea cat tries to swim near the bottom, where it often buries itself in the sand and does not make any movements. In this state, he simply merges with environment and looks like a motionless object of unnatural origin.

But after a short rest the fish makes explosive “takeoffs”, rising from the ocean floor at very high speeds. After this, the cat fish begins to “hover” or “fly”, flapping its fins like wings. When searching for food, one of the most beautiful sea ​​inhabitants hits the sand with its body to disturb it and increase the chances of catching tasty prey. The sea cat's diet consists of:

• crustaceans;
• shellfish;
• other plankton.

Features of reproduction

Stingrays belong to ovoviviparous animals, but in addition to the yolk in the egg, the embryos develop in the womb and receive from her body a special liquid with incredible nutritional properties, reminiscent of milk. It is produced in special outgrowths that are located on the walls of the “uterus”. Bunches of these outgrowths penetrate the small openings of the embryos, as a result of which especially valuable microelements and vitamins enter the digestive tract of the cubs.

In the warm, southern regions of our country The breeding season begins in June or July. One female can raise from 4 to 12 cubs in one season. And although the pretty babies are born with sharp thorns, the birth process is carried out without pain. And all because in the womb of matter, flat-bodied embryos are shrouded in a tube resembling a cigar, which prevent the aggressive impact of thorns on internal organs females.

After birth, the baby quickly adapts to external conditions, turns around and floats away.

Nutritional value: application

The nutritional value of the sea cat is practically zero. Nevertheless in many countries around the world it is caught in large quantities and are used to prepare delicacies in elite five-star restaurants and other exotic cuisine establishments. The liver of fish contains more than 63 percent of nutritious fat, enriched with very valuable vitamin D.

If this subspecies of stingrays attacks a person, the resulting injuries can be very painful. The fact is that the thorns contain certain toxins that cause terrible pain.

Among the common types are:

The use of the sea cat is represented by the manufacture of weapons from sharp fish spines. For for long years local island aborigines used them as effective spear points, which later served as tools for catching fish.

Caught stingrays are also squeezed out fish fat. But an animal can make up for a person great danger. In an aggressive state it can cause fatal wounds, followed by a long and painful death due to bleeding.

In many cases, the sea cat attacks people after they step on its body buried in the sand. The toxic venom of the stingray can cause:

• spasmodic pain;
• muscle paralysis;
• infectious diseases;
• blood poisoning;
• fatal outcome - death of the victim.

Poisonous properties

As mentioned above, a stingray can be great danger to humans or your neighbors. Contact with an animal that causes aggressive behavior rarely ends well. The fast and playful monster immediately attacks its offender, injecting poison from the needle into the victim.

Poisonous stingray needle located on a long pointed tail. If someone makes the stingray angry, it hits the bottom with all its might with its tail and brings the needle into a fighting state. This dangerous weapon can paralyze a swimmer in a matter of seconds, inflict intractable injuries on him or lead to disastrous consequences in the form of painful death.

The tail needle has different lengths. In many cases it reaches 25-35 centimeters, although in some individuals the length is 42 centimeters.

This dangerous weapon comes with a pouch containing toxic substance, which is very toxic. If it gets into a wound with tissue, the poison that fills the grooves of the spines impairs the activity of cardio-vascular system, causing a sharp decrease blood pressure and increased heart rate. Also, a stingray bite can accompanied by a vomiting reaction and severe sweating.

According to statistics, in the United States alone, more than 1,500 people suffer from sea cat bites every year. And this is not due to the aggressiveness of the fish, but solely to its habitat. IN Lately Huge swarms of stingrays move to coastal regions, where they form so-called “heavenly refuges.” By burrowing into the bottom, the animal turns into a dangerous weapon, contact with which is extremely undesirable.

Even small stingrays, with a body length of no more than 50 centimeters with a 20-centimeter tail, which are found on Atlantic coast, are capable of inflicting frightening wounds on the victim. Large representatives of the species, which grow up to 3-4 meters in length, have a huge 30-centimeter spike on their tail, which is as thick as a human leg. With its help the fish can deliver a terrible blow that can penetrate the bottom of a boat.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, many tourists go to the Caribbean, Cayman Islands and other exotic regions in order to play with sea cats, take a couple of bright pictures and feel incredible emotions from such an action.

Some aquarists breed stingrays in specially equipped aquariums with sea ​​water. For home care This amazing inhabitant of the sea area is not suitable, because it requires a very large vessel with a water volume of 1 thousand liters. Nevertheless, the stingray exhibits high requirements to the conditions in which he lives. He needs a suitable temperature regime and the correct hydrochemical composition of water.

In large aquariums and oceanariums, stingrays live freely in captivity, where they are fed small sea ​​fish and plankton.

Despite a number negative aspects , including aggressive behavior during a defensive reaction and the poisonousness of the needle, the sea cat is one of the most amazing creatures of our planet. His beautiful appearance, impressive size and interesting behavior will not leave any tourist indifferent. A meeting with a stingray promises good memories and emotions for the future. for a long time. This is probably why many travel thousands of kilometers to see this colorful inhabitant of the seas and oceans.