Vatoz Fish

Have you ever seen a fish gliding like a flying carpet over the seafloor? Rays are striking creatures distinguished by their flat, broad bodies that live on the ocean and river floors. The fins along the sides of their bodies resemble wings, and rays propel themselves through water by flapping these fins. Rays are closely related to sharks.

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Rays typically prefer shallow coastal areas in tropical and temperate seas and can be found in nearly all the world’s oceans except the Antarctic and Arctic regions. They commonly inhabit sandy or muddy seabeds. While some species live in deeper waters, others are found in freshwater rivers. In fact, certain ray species can even be encountered in Turkey’s Aegean, Mediterranean, and Black Sea regions.

The most distinctive feature of rays is their flat and broad body shape. Like sharks, their skeletons are made not of bone but of cartilage.

Fins: They have large pectoral fins that resemble butterfly wings. They move through water by undulating these fins.

Eyes: Their eyes are usually located on the upper part of their heads. Just behind their eyes are specialized respiratory openings called spiracles, which allow them to breathe even when buried in the seafloor sediment.

Tail: Many ray species have long, slender tails. In some species, these tails bear sharp, venomous spines used for defense.

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Rays usually reproduce during spring and summer months. Females may reproduce either by laying eggs or by giving birth to live young, depending on the species. Gestation periods vary from six months to two years. Offspring are typically born in litters of two to six. Young rays are fully developed and capable of independent life immediately after birth.

Rays have varied feeding habits depending on their habitat. They typically prey on slow-moving bottom-dwelling organisms such as worms, clams, shrimp, crabs, and small fish. Since their mouths are located on the underside of their bodies, they can easily feed on prey buried in the sand.