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Critters of the Chesapeake Bay

Critters of the Chesapeake Bay. Skates & Rays. Skates & Rays. Skates and rays are both cartilaginous fishes that are related to the sharks. Skates & Rays. All members have enlarged pectoral fins that are used for swimming much like birds in flight. Skates & Rays.

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Critters of the Chesapeake Bay

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  1. Critters of the Chesapeake Bay Skates & Rays

  2. Skates & Rays Skates and rays are both cartilaginous fishes that are related to the sharks.

  3. Skates & Rays All members have enlarged pectoral fins that are used for swimming much like birds in flight.

  4. Skates & Rays Also, all members are bottom-dwellers and have their mouths on their underside or ventral surface.

  5. Skates & Rays Skates, like the local clearnose skate, are fairly small compared to the stingrays. Rays are rarely over 2.5 feet long.

  6. Skates & Rays Stingrays, on the other hand, can weigh in the hundreds of pounds.

  7. Skates & Rays Stingrays have sharp spines on their elongate tails, while skates do not.

  8. Skates & Rays These spines are not only poisonous, but they are covered with backward pointing barbs, much like a fish hook.

  9. Skates & Rays The greatest danger, however, is from infection if stepped on not from the poison.

  10. Skates & Rays Skates tend to have a tail with a small dorsal fin near the end of its tail, while the stingray’s tail is long and thin.

  11. Skates & Rays Both stingrays and skates are bottom feeders where they eat crustaceans, mollusks, and other benthic organisms.

  12. Skates & Rays Skates lay eggs like this egg case below. These can often be found along our ocean and bay beaches.

  13. Skates & Rays Stingrays usually give birth to their offspring and do not lay eggs

  14. Skates & Rays Certain types of stingrays can often be seen near the surface with their two pectoral fins out of the water.

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