southern stingray

Dasyatis americana

size: up to 1.5 m (5 ft.)

habitat: sandy bottoms, sea grass beds, lagoons; often near coral reefs

diet: bony fishes, crabs, worms, clams, shrimp, and tunicates

status: not threatened or endangered

key facts: Unlike bony fishes, stingrays don't have any bones. Instead, their skeletons are made of cartilage, the same material that is found in a human's ears and nose.

Wonderful Wildlife of the Keys

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database
www.seaworld.org / www.buschgardens.org