Spotted Eagle Ray Facts

The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a cartilaginous fish belonging to the eagle ray family of stingrays. Its common name comes from its distinctive spots, fins that flap like wings, and protruding snout that resembles an eagles beak or ducks bill. Usually, the ray is a solitary predator, but it sometimes swims in large groups. Fast Facts: Spotted Eagle Ray Scientific Name: Aetobatus narinariOther Names: White-spotted eagle ray, duckbill ray, bonnet rayDistinguishing Features: Disk-shaped ray with long tail, blue or black body with white spots, and flat snout resembling a duck billAverage Size: Up to 5 m (16 ft) long with wingspan of 3 m (10 ft)Diet: CarnivorousLife Span: 25 yearsHabitat: Warm coastal water worldwide, although modern classification restricts this species to the Atlantic ocean basinConservation Status: Near threatenedKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ChondrichthyesOrder: MyliobatiformesFamily: MyliobatidaeFun Fact: Newborn pups look just like their parents, except much smaller Description The ray is easily recognized by its blue or black top dotted with white spots, white belly, and flat duck bill snout. There are five small gills on each side of the front half of the belly. The tail is very long and features two to six venomous spines located just behind the pelvic fins. A spotted eagle rays disk-shaped body can reach 5 meters (6 feet) in length, have a wingspan up to 3 meters (10 feet), and weigh 230 kilograms (507 pounds). In addition to its spots, the spotted eagle ray may be identified by its beak-like snout. Terry Moore/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images Distribution Prior to 2010, the species included spotted eagle rays living in warm coastal waters around the globe. Now the name only refers to the group that lives in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. The population living in the Indo-West Pacific is the ocellated eagle ray (Aetobatus ocellatus), while the group in the tropical East Pacific Ocean is the Pacific white-spotted eagle ray (Aetobarus laticeps). Only very recent sources make a distinction between the rays, which differ slightly in terms of genetics and morphology. While spotted eagle rays live in coral reefs and protected bays, they may migrate great distances through deep water. This is the historical spotted eagle ray range. Under modern classification, the fish only resides in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf. Diet Spotted eagle rays are carnivorous predators that feed upon mollusks, crustaceans, octopuses, and small fish. The rays use their snouts to dig in the sand to expose food, then apply calcified jaws and chevron-shaped teeth to crack open hard shells. Predators and Parasites Sharks are the principal predators of spotted eagle rays. Specifically, tiger sharks, lemon sharks, bull sharks, silvertip sharks, and great hammerhead sharks prey upon pups and adults. Humans also hunt rays. Spotted eagle rays host a variety of parasites, including the gnathostomatid nematode Echinocephalus sinensis (in the intestine) and monocotylid monogeneans (on the gills). Reproduction and Life Cycle Spotted eagle rays are ovoviviparous or live-bearing. During mating, one or more males pursue a female. The male uses his jaws to grasp the females pectoral fin and roll her over. When the rays are venter to venter (belly to belly), the male inserts his clasper into the female. The entire mating process takes from 30 to 90 seconds. The female retains the fertilized eggs, which hatch internally and live off the egg yolk. After a gestation period of about a year, the female gives birth to as many as four pups that are miniature versions of their parents. Rays mature in 4 to 6 years and live around 25 years. Spotted Eagle Rays and Humans For the most part, spotted eagle rays are shy, gentle creatures that pose no significant threat to humans. The intelligent, curious animals are popular with snorkelers. However, on at least two occasions, leaping rays have landed in boats. One incident resulted in a womans death in the Florida Keys. Because of their interesting pattern and the graceful way they fly through water, spotted eagle rays present a popular aquarium attraction. They have been successfully bred in captivity. Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands holds the record for the most births. Conservation Status The spotted eagle ray is near threatened in the wild, with a decreasing population trend. However, the latest IUCN evaluation occurred in 2006, which is before the fish was assigned to three separate species. The IUCN categorizes the ocellated eagle ray as vulnerable, while the Pacific white-spotted eagle ray has not been evaluated for conservation status. From a global perspective, including all three species, threats to the spotted eagle ray include severe population fragmentation, unregulated overfishing, bycatch, pollution, collection for the aquarium trade, and hunting to protect mollusk farms. Fishing pressure presents the most significant threat and is expected to increase. However, there are few portions of the animals range where the threat is lessened. The spotted eagle ray is protected in Florida and the Maldives and partially protected in Australia. Sources Carpenter, Kent E.; Niem, Volker H. (1999). Batoid fishes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes. 3. pp. 1511, 1516. ISBN 92-5-104302-7.Kyne, P.M.; Ishihara, H.; Dudley, S. F. J. White, W. T. (2006). Aetobatus narinari. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2006: e.T39415A10231645. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T39415A10231645.enSchluessel, V., Broderick, D., Collin, S.P., Ovenden, J.R. (2010). Evidence for extensive population structure in the white-spotted eagle ray within the Indo-Pacific inferred from mitochondrial gene sequences. Journal of Zoology 281: 46–55.Silliman, William R.; Gruber, S.H. (1999). Behavioral Biology of the Spotted Eagle Ray, Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790), in Bimini, Bahamas; an Interim Report.White, W.T. (2014): A revised generic arrangement for the eagle ray family Myliobatidae, with definitions for the valid genera. Zootaxa 3860(2): 149–166.

Analysis Of Yiyun Li s A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers

Yiyun Li’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers has a recurring theme among its protagonists. Several characters have not met certain emotional needs which leaves them searching for ways to meet these needs wherever possible. Oftentimes, characters enter a one-sided relationship and give themselves completely to a person with nothing in return because it fulfills whatever needs the character has. These relationships are most evident in â€Å"Extra† and â€Å"A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.† In â€Å"Extra,† Granny Lin’s emotional deficit comes from her lack of relationships throughout her life. Her whole life she was never married, never had any children, and cooped up in a factory all day. After Granny lin was forced to retire, Auntie Wang arranged†¦show more content†¦The one-sidedness of the relationship is physical as well. Granny Lin looks out for Kang by supplying him with socks to save him embarrassment (Li 19). The way Granny Lin describes her relationship with Kang also shows how she has been deprived of romantic love her whole life. She â€Å"wonders if this is the love she missed in her younger years, hand and hand with a dear boy† and in the closing lines of the story she calls her time with Kang â€Å"her brief love story† (Li 18, 22). While I concede that Granny Lin’s relationship with Kang is problematic given the age difference, I contend that, knowing what the reader knows about Granny Lin’s lonely past, the relationship takes on a new light. The life Granny Lin led prior to her factory retirement left her emotionally starved and put her romantic and emotional desires in a state of dormancy. These buried and dormant desires were awoken by Old Tang, the object around which her feelings were able to manifest. After Tang’s death, those feelings may have left Granny Lin feeling even more empty because now she was aware of them but had nobody to love. Her relationship with Kang arose because they were both the most vulnerable in the school. She was vulnerable due to her emotional and romantic cavities, while Kang was vulnerable because of his familial issues. Some might call Granny Lin’s love for Kang predatory, but it comes

Physical Therapy College free essay sample

When considering the factors that can get in the way of a therapeutic relationship, communication is the main point of working in the health care field. It is important to be sensitive not only to the physical limitations of patients but to their emotional limitations as well. I am motivated to become a physical therapist because I want to enhance physical health, fitness and quality of life to adults and children. A good physical therapist is just as important as a good doctor. I know how devastating injuries can be to a person physically and mentally. In accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions, I understand how important it is to help people restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. Therapists can change peoples lives by lifting their spirits and helping them get their quality of life back, and I would like to be a part of that. I have spent my life around active people. We will write a custom essay sample on Physical Therapy College or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have participated in athletics since I was very young and have played contact sports. I have excelled in baseball, and its the primary reason that I am choosing this specialty. Physical therapy can help the not so active people also. My mother has a neurological degenerative disease that causes her muscles to stiffen up, so it is very important for her to keep up with her range of motion, so that everyday tasks are easier on her. My aunt is another person in my life who has benefited from physical therapy in a dramatic way; she suffered a stroke about a year ago. She was confined to a wheel chair, and with the help of continual physical therapy, the use of her chair has been limited. My cousin works as head of the PT department at Staten Island University Hospital, and speaking with her, I have learned how demanding, and rewarding PT can be. I would like to work in the physical therapy industry as a sports trainer. I like the idea of being around sports while dealing with medicine and sport injuries. My goal would be to work with high school athletes anywhere up to professional athletes. My priority would be to make sure all my patients are successful and happy on their road to recovery. I know that I have the qualities that will make me successful to excel in PT.