Head to head
Thornback Ray vs Eagle Ray
Thornback Ray
VS Eagle Ray
The thornback ray and the eagle ray are two rays of very different habits, one a sea-bed lurker of cool European waters and the other a graceful open-water swimmer of the tropics.
| Thornback Ray | Eagle Ray | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Raja clavata | Myliobatidae (the eagle ray family) |
| Relationship | A ray of the skate family, with a flat, diamond-shaped body | A ray of a different family, with a protruding, beak-like snout |
| Body | A back and tail studded with prickly thorns, with larger spines in rows along the tail | A broad body with large pectoral fins that beat like wings and a long, whip-like tail |
| Swimming | Lies half buried on sandy and muddy sea beds | Swims actively through open water with slow, deliberate, wing-like beats, rather than gliding close to the sea floor |
| Diet | Crabs, shrimps, worms, and small fish found on the sand and mud of the sea bed | Mollusks, crustaceans, and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates, crushed with flattened, plate-like teeth |
| Defence | Prickly thorns on its back and tail | Typically one or more venomous spines near the base of its long tail |
| Habits | Usually solitary, lying on the sea bed | Frequently travels in schools, and occasionally leaps entirely clear of the water |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened, in cool waters of the north-eastern Atlantic, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean | Near Threatened, in warm coastal and open ocean waters of tropical and subtropical regions worldwide |
Thornback Ray vs Eagle Ray: common questions
Which ray leaps from the water?
The eagle ray, which occasionally leaps entirely clear of the surface, for reasons that remain uncertain.
Which one lays mermaid's purses?
The thornback ray, which lays tough, rectangular egg cases with a horn at each corner that often wash ashore.
Which one has a venomous spine?
The eagle ray, which typically has one or more venomous spines near the base of its long tail, while the thornback has prickly thorns.