Golden cownose ray explained

The golden cownose ray or Pacific cownose ray (Rhinoptera steindachneri) is a species of ray. It is found in the East Pacific along the coast of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.^[1] Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, estuarine waters, intertidal marshes, and coastal saline lagoons. They are often in schools, and sometimes associated with the spotted eagle ray.^[2]

Like all members of eagle rays, they demonstrate ovoviviparity. Ovulation and birth occurred in May, June and July, with a low fecundity, large size at maturity and birth and a continuous and synchronous annual reproductive cycle.^[3]

According to J. Bizzarro, Wade Smith, J. Fernando Márquez-Farías, and Robert E. Hueter, these rays are not of much value within fisheries and are harmless to humans, however one of the main threats to this species is overexploitation and habitat destruction.^[4]

The parasites that inhabit this species are most influenced by body size, diet, and feeding behavior.^[5]

External links

• Photos of mass migration

Notes and References

1. Web site: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019-09-30.
2. Web site: Rhinoptera steindachneri summary page. FishBase. en. 2019-09-30.
3. Burgos-Vázquez. María I.. Chávez-García. Valeria E.. Cruz-Escalona. Víctor H.. Navia. Andrés F.. Mejía-Falla. Paola A.. 2019-01-21. Reproductive strategy of the Pacific cownose ray Rhinoptera steindachneri in the southern Gulf of California. Marine and Freshwater Research. en. 70. 1. 93–106. 10.1071/MF18096. 1448-6059.
4. Bizzarro. Joseph J.. Smith. Wade D.. Márquez-Farías. J. Fernando. Hueter. Robert E.. April 2007. Artisanal fisheries and reproductive biology of the golden cownose ray, Rhinoptera steindachneri Evermann and Jenkins, 1891, in the northern Mexican Pacific. Fisheries Research. en. 84. 2. 137–146. 10.1016/j.fishres.2006.10.016. 2007FishR..84..137B . 0165-7836.
5. Violante-González. Juan. Santos-Bustos. Nataly G.. Monks. Scott. Pulido-Flores. Griselda. García-Ibáñez. Sergio. Rojas-Herrera. Agustín A.. 2018-05-11. Parasite community of the golden cownose ray Rhinoptera steindachneri Evermann and Jenkins 1891 (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatidae), in Acapulco Bay, Guerrero, Mexico. Journal of Natural History. 52. 17–18. 1115–1131. 10.1080/00222933.2018.1452305. 2018JNatH..52.1115V . 0022-2933.