Porcupine Ray
Porcupine Ray Facts
| Size | 47-59 in (120-150 cm) |
| Speed | Unknown |
| Weight | Up to 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Lifespan | Unknown |
| Food | Fish, crabs, starfish, mussels, snails |
| Predators | - |
| Habitat | Red Sea, Indo-Pacific |
| Order | Myliobatiformes |
| Suborder | Stingrays |
| Family | Whiptail stingrays |
| Scientific name | Urogymnus asperrimus |
| Characteristics | Armored, no poison sting |
The porcupine ray gets its name from the barbs and spines on its body. It lives in coastal waters at depths of around 100 ft (30 m).
A unique species
The porcupine ray is the only animal in the urogymnus genus.
Dangerous weapon
The porcupine ray is a kind of whiptail stingray, which mostly have a poisonous sting on their tails. But not the porcupine ray. Instead, they have small, pointy dermal teeth and sharp spines all over their bodies. These can cause very painful wounds.
Well hidden and hard to find
Porcupine rays prefer to hang around on sandy surfaces or near coral reefs. They also like to hide in caves or bury themselves in the sand to rest.
This fact sheet was submitted by animalfunfacts.net fan L.R. Thanks for your amazing article! Do you want to write a fan factsheet?
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