Cownose Ray

Rhinoptera bonasus

Body Length:Up to 4'6" long
Geographic Distribution:Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea
Habitat:Reefs and warm coastal waters
Wild Diet:Clams, oysters, invertebrates
Status in the Wild:Vulnerable
Location:The Living Coast

The cownose ray is a migratory ray species often found in warm, coastal waters. Its venomous tail barb is made of keratin, just like a human's hair and fingernails.  Cownose rays have a golden to dark brown back and an off-white belly with pointed pectoral fins or "wings," wide head with lobes on either side that resemble a cow's nostrils, and a thin tail.