Advertisement

natureNature

Watch This Stingray “Inhale” A Spider Crab

author

Danielle Andrew

Editorial Intern

clockPublished
1960 Watch This Stingray “Inhale” A Spider Crab
Stingray eating a spider crab. Pink Tank Scuba/Youtube.

Part of me has always wondered how stingrays manage to eat - with their oddly shaped bodies, eyes located dorsally and mouth right underneath the body – how do they manage to find their prey, let alone capture it? In spite of all my musings, I was unprepared to see a stingray hunt and seemingly inhale a spider crab.

Almost as if abducted by an alien, the ray sits directly above its prey and seems to suck it up, almost like you’d slurp up a mouthful of pasta.

Advertisement

 

 

National Geographic explains that due to the location of its eyes, it’s commonly believed by scientists that sight doesn’t play a big role in hunting for stingrays– instead relying on its electrical sensors around the mouth, called ampullae of Lorenzini. The organs sense the natural electrical charges of prey, allowing the ray to locate and consume it without having to actually see it. You may also be surprised to find out that many rays have strong jaw teeth, which allows them to crush mollusks like crabs, clams and oysters.


ARTICLE POSTED IN

natureNature
  • tag
  • stingray

FOLLOW ONNEWSGoogele News