Species: Rhinoptera bonasus, Cownose Ray

Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill, 1815)

Cownose Ray

Disc angular, nearly twice as wide as long; head and snout strongly marked off from and raised above front of disc; forehead overhangs blunt, concave snout that is notched in front, lower part with pair of broadly rounded lobes separated by central notch; eyes and spiracles on side of head; mouth without fleshy papillae on its floor; 6-8 (average 7) rows of relatively narrow and deep, large plate-like crushing teeth on both jaws; moderate sized dorsal fin at tail base; no tail fin or fin folds; tail long and slender.

Top uniform brown; underside white to yellowish.

Reaches a disc width of ~110 cm.

Benthic on soft bottoms and in the water column.

Depth: 0-96 m.

New England to Argentina.