Family: MYLIOBATIDAE, Bull Rays, Bullnose Eagle Ray, Eagle Rays

FAMILY MYLIOBATIDAE

EAGLE RAYS, BULL RAYS

Eagle rays are large rays (up to at least 3 m wide); the greatly flattened disc is rhomboidal, much broader than long, pectoral tips pointed; trunk of body broad, depressed, thick; head narrow, distinctly raised from disc, protruding forwards; front edges of pectoral fins join head under eyes, with or without a ridge under eyes connected to the disc; eyes and spiracles on sides of head; mouth broad, flap between nostrils straight to slightly undulated, without deep V-shaped notch; teeth in 7 (6-10) rows on each jaw, middle row largest, upper and lower tooth plates similar in shape; tail whip-like, usually much longer than disc, 1 or more poisonous spines behind dorsal fin; no tail fin; a small dorsal fin at base of tail, its rear edge joined to tail, its origin before to after pelvic-fin free rear tips.

A pantropical family with two genera and 15 species. Two west Atlantic members of one genus in the Greater Caribbean, four eastern Pacific members of two genera in the TEP.

PREPARED BY D ROSS ROBERTSON, AFTER MCEACHRAN & CARVALHO (2002)