- SEA LIFE, Bay of Rays
Rays are a type of flattened fish
They are closely related to sharks as they are a result of the same evolutionary cycle!
Rays are social animals that often come together in huge groups of up to thousands of individuals, although some species prefer to live alone. Rays are found in oceans all over the world and are even found in some freshwater channels which flow into the sea.
Be enchanted by our assortment of amazing rays! We have a variety of rays swimming around in our Bay of Rays.
How many species of ray will you spot?
Like sharks, a ray's skeleton is made of cartilage, which is a tough, fibrous substance. Although cartilage is not nearly as hard as bone, it is very flexible. This allows the ray to move easily underwater.
Did you know?
Baby Rays
When they are born, baby rays are so small and see-through that their gills and stomach are visible through their skin!
Stingrays get their name from the barb on their tail
When threatened Stingrays whip up their tail to puncture their pursuer with their venomous barb. Once they have done this it takes a while for a new one to grow back, so they use it as a last resort!
Ray Tagging
SEA LIFE Loch Lomond regularly takes part in shark and ray tagging exercises to monitor numbers around Scotland.
21 Species in the UK
You can find 21 species of Skate and Ray in British waters alone!
Cownose Rays
We have several species of Tropical Stingray at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond including the only Cow Nose Rays in Scotland!
When Cow Nose Rays swim in the ocean, their wingtips often break the surface, resembling the dorsal fin of a shark, which sometimes causes undue alarm for swimmers and divers.
Undulate Rays
Though they are commonly known as Undulate Rays, Undulates are actually a type of Skate. Rays and Skate are similar but there are a few differences including how they reproduce; Rays give birth to live young whereas Skate lay eggs. Undulate Rays are very well adapted for life on the sea bed; They have flattened bodies so they can easily hide under the sand and their bulbous eyes poke out to spot any tasty prey swimming past.
