There is some disagreement on the size of a mature cownose ray, but they usually grow to a little over three feet long, and weigh about 50 pounds with the males being slightly larger than females.

They have a typical ray coloration of brown-backed and yellowish or whitish stomach; however, it’s their broad head and wide-set eyes that are distinguishable.

The cownose ray has a lengthy tail that is almost twice as long as its body! It is equipped with a stinger, or spine, but only strikes if threatened. The spine has lateral teeth along the edges with a small amount of venom. The cownose ray’s venom is weak, however, and only about as strong as a bee sting.

The cownose ray is part of the eagle ray group that can be found in the Eastern and Western Atlantic Ocean in places such as Florida, Guinea, Brazil, and more. They prefer brackish and marine habitats, often inhabiting open ocean areas as well as shallow bays and estuaries.

Cownose rays search for food such as clams, oysters, and other invertebrates in the early morning or late afternoon hours. As a group, they search the ocean floor using the electroreceptors in their snouts as well as their excellent sense of sight and smell. Once the cownose rays sense prey, they flap their wings rapidly to move the sand away and capture it with their mouths. Their teeth are like flat plates, as strong as cement, that crush the hard-shelled prey so they can eat the soft bits and spit out the shells.

Breeding season for cownose rays is June through October when a large group of cownose rays of varying ages and genders gather in shallow water. Females will swim with the ends of their pectoral fins sticking out of the water to signal to males that they are looking to mate. Like most other sharks and rays, the baby will develop and hatch inside the mother’s body until she delivers, through live birth, a 1.5-foot-long baby.

The cownose ray is often mistaken for a shark. This is caused by the tips of the ray’s fins sticking out of the water resembling the dorsal fin of a shark.

In a show of territorial display, cownose rays will jump out of the water and land with a loud smack.