Rays

Undulate Ray

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. To catch their food, they will leap out of the sand and trap it under their huge wings. With their mouth full of crushing teeth located underneath them it is easy for them to quickly grab and consumer their prey.

Sadly Undulate Rays are now endangered off the coast of the UK due to overfishing. SEA LIFE London Aquarium is part of a national Undulate Ray breeding program and has already welcomed a number of healthy, baby Undulate Rays into the world.

Bowmouth Guitarfish

This wonderfully bizarre animal is called a Bowmouth Guitarfish. Though it is classified as a Ray, really it is half Ray and half Shark! Rays evolved from Sharks but this species stopped somewhere in-between.

When you visit us look out for our Bowmouth, Betty, in 'Pacific Shipwreck'. Like other Rays and Sharks, Betty has incredible skin. Instead of being covered in scales like other fish, she is covered in tiny teeth called dermal denticles. These reduce drag in the water so she can swim faster with ease.

With such huge fins, Bowmouth Guitarfish are particularly targeted by the Shark finning industry.

Southern Stingrays

Stingrays get their name from the stinging barb at the base of their tail. When they feel threatened Stingrays can whip up their tail to puncture their pursuer with their spiny, venomous barb. Once they have done this it takes a while for a new one to grow back, so they only use it as a last resort!

In our Open Oceans zone you'll see huge Southern Stingrays! These large predators spray water from their mouth and flap their wings to disturb the sandy bottom and reveal hidden prey. They also like to bury themselves in the sand when they have to hide from their own predators such as Great Hammerhead Sharks and Killer Whales.

Cownose Rays

The cownose ray belongs to the diurnal rays and lives in large sociable groups with often hundreds of their species.

The cownose ray lives in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. It feels particularly comfortable on sandy and muddy bottoms in bays, estuaries or coral reefs.

You can spot these adorable smiley rays in our Open Oceans zone!