- SEA LIFE Oberhausen, Shark Nursery
About the bluespotted ribbontail ray
In our oceans, but also in rivers there are almost 500 species of rays. Their nearest relatives are sharks. Just like sharks, rays have no skeleton. Their whole skeleton is made of cartilage and therefore very flexible. (On human bodies, for example, the nose and ears are made of cartilage.) The cartilage skeleton makes it easier for rays to glide through the water. They look like a bird flapping its wings.
It is not difficult to see where the bluespotted ribbontail ray gets its name from. On its yellowish surface there are the beautiful blue spots, which change into stripes towards the tail. If the bluespotted ribbontail ray has to camouflage itself, it can reduce the colour intensity of the spots!