Cownose Ray

ocean · rays · Atlantic · elegant

Cow-like snout. The cownose ray gets its name from the fleshy, shovel-shaped bump on its head that looks remarkably like a cow's nose. This special feature helps it dig through sandy ocean floors to find food.

Widespread swimmer. Cownose rays live throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, swimming from New England all the way down to southern Brazil. They're comfortable in many different ocean habitats along the coast.

Ray relatives. Cownose rays belong to a special group of rays that includes manta rays, eagle rays, and bat rays. All these rays are related and share the order Myliobatiformes, making them distant cousins in the ocean.

Grace in motion. These rays are known for their elegant swimming style, flapping their wing-like fins to glide smoothly through the water. They're one of the most graceful creatures you can see in the Atlantic Ocean.