Stingray

sharkScience Animal Research Assessment task: Stingray Sting rays are aquatic fishes that have a flat body and bony spine that live in shallow coastal waters of temperate seas. Sting Rays are relatively inactive and spend their time buried in sand for protection from predators. Their diet mainly consists of crabs, shell fish, marine worms, and occasionally small fish, and there for it is a carnivore.
 * Modern Animal**
 * Kingdom: || Animalia ||
 * Phylum: || Chordata ||
 * Class: || Chondrichthyes ||
 * Subclass: || Elasmobranchi ||
 * Order: || Myliobatiformes ||
 * Suborder: || ** Myliobatoidei ** ||


 * || Scientific classification of stingrays ||  ||

Habitat: Stingrays are cold blooded and so can only live within warmer regions of the earth. They are quite commonly found in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters all over the world. There are many sorts of stingrays some are found in the deep oceans while others can only be found in fresh water such as rivers. Stingrays are generally common but some are endangered or vulnerable to extinction and some are much less known to us. Most saltwater stingrays live in the benthic zone. The sea floor provide an excellent place for stingrays to live because the sandy bottom lets the stingray hide from potential preditors and also the stingray can conserve energy while laying there. Stingrays can sometimes be found alone, in pairs and even in whole schools. Many organisms live with the stingrays in their habitat and some of these are their prey. In the sand there are mollusks(like snails), crustaceans, and worms this makes the sand very ideal places for stingrays to live. Because these animals live in the sand the stingray can easily eat them because the stingray is in the sand most of the time anyway. Apart from the animals that are the stingray’s prey, there are animals that eat parasites off the stingray. The stingray has a mutually beneficial relationship with the fish that live there such as the Bluehead Wrasses and Spanish Hogfish. They have a relationship where the stingray eats the prey that the fish do not eat, so it forms a mutually beneficial relationship between the two animal. The stingray generally lives in the area shaped below.



__**The ocean floor is ideal for the stingrays living habits**__

Sting rays have many unique features that separate them from their close relatives, sharks. Stingrays have very many adaptations that help it survive. These include a sometimes toxic tail used for defense against preditors, they have wave like pectoral fins that help it to swim, the stingrays its mouth, nostrils, and gill slits are situated on its underbelly, its spiracles one the top of its body, and its skin tone for camouflage. __**The stingrays adaptations**__ The sting rays has adapted to have a long tail that trails behind it, this tail has a stinger which is used for protection against preditors. When a stingray’s senses danger it uses it’s stinger to stab into the attacker this leaves a deep and long cut in the victim. This stinger can also be toxic at time and this adds to the pain because the stingray’s toxic intensifies the pain. The toxic in the stinger also produces a blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, cardiac failure and muscular paralysis. By being able to protect it against preditors the stingray is able to live longer and this give stingrays time to breed. The pressures that may have lead to the stingray needing this feature are probably because of the threat of being eaten by preditors. The tail also helps to maneuver the stinger and helps it actually stab any animal that the stingray feels is being threatened by. Sting rays evolved from sharks, and the sharks don’t have stingers but they are normally considered near the top of the food chain because stingrays do not hunt they have their stingers to protect them from being hunted. Stingrays more specifically evolved from flat sharks and flat sharks have not many defensive traits and so they must have been pressured to have some way to protect themselves. The sting ray has a very interesting way of breathing; this method is specially tailored to make breathing and eating for the stingrays simpler and more effective. The stingray has many features that make respiration easier. The unique way the sting ray respirates it that the sting ray has its mouth and nostrils, and gill slits located on the bottom of the stingray and it also spiracles behind their eyes. The water containing the oxygen(which the stingray needs) goes through the spiracles behind the eyes of the stingray. The stingray exhales the water though the gills located on the stingray’s underbelly. This is a useful adaptation for the stingray because the stingrays can respirate without really needing to move and is also good because stingrays mostly lay flat on the ground and so by enabling the stingray to inhale water from the spiracles the stingray can have its mouth free form feeding purposes. The environmental pressures that might make the stingray need to make these adaptations might be because of the inefficiency of breathe from its mouth while feeding and also difficulty breathing while it is hiding in the sand. The adaptations are quite necessary because not being able to breathe while hiding in the sand means that the sting ray cannot hide making it more likely for the stingray to get eaten or killed. The mouth on the bottom of the sting ray can also be used to eat the sea creatures that live on the ground it is lying on. The way the stingray breathes it ideal for its characteristics. Stingrays have a very strange way of moving the stingray has very strong fins that they flap like wings to help them move around in the water. The stingray is not a very energetic animal and so it spends most of its time idle and this means that they do not have to move very often. The stingray has adapted to have minimal movement in its daily activities the stingray mainly stays in the buried in the sand. The stingray has adapted to move in a very energy efficient way. Stingrays don’t have swim bladders nor do they have large livers, this means that the stingrays have no buoyancy, so the sting rays sink if they don’t swim. Even though this is a bad adaptation and the stingray does not gain from it, the stingray makes up for it with the shape of its body. The stingray has pectoral fins that make a disc shape that let the stingrays glide instead of having to swim for long distances. The little amount of buoyancy that the stingray has allows the stingray has the ability to lie on the sea floor for hiding against preditors, the less buoyancy they have makes it so that the stingray can stay idle for a long time. The lying on the seafloor and gliding instead of swimming helps them conserve energy so they don’t have to eat as much. Environmental pressures that might have made the stingrays adapt might be that the stingrays were not getting enough food so they had to adapt to adapt to conserve energy. The little buoyancy the stingray has makes the stingray be able to stay stationary so that the preditors can’t see them. This might have been influenced by the preditors noticing the sting rays and so by not moving the sting rays become less conspicuous. The sting rays spend most of the time under sand too so that might also be an adaptation that they took on so that the preditors will not spot them. The stingray is very efficient and illusive they were it adapted. Because of the preditors the stingray needs a fast way of being able to see it before it is in danger. The stingrays eyes are located on the top of its head this means that the sting ray can see the predator long before it can get close enough to attack the ray. This is a useful adaptation because the stingray can look at the area above it while it is buried in the sand to spot for preditors. This also helps the stingray to survive because the stingray can spot the predator and then later decide what it should do. The ability to see what is above the stingray is useful because it will give the sting ray an advantage and make it less likely to be eaten. In addition to the eyes being on the top of its body the stingray also has very good eyesight so it can see further that other animals. Environmental pressures that may have caused the stingray to adapt might be because the stingrays are normally buried in the sand and maybe too often attacked by surprise from the top. By developing eyes that allow them to see on top of themselves the stingray can survive to reproduce. The good eye sight may be a product of not being able to see far enough to see the predator. Also it maybe so the stingray can compete with the improving eyesight of many other preditors who can see them from far distances. Stingrays come across many parasites and they can be a very common target for parasites because the parasites can get to them easily because the stingrays don’t move as often as other fish. Stingrays have learned a unique way of treating these parasites; they form relations with the other fish that live together in the same habitat with them. The types of fish include Bluehead Wrasses and Spanish Hogfish the relationship that the stingrays have with these fish are that the fish eat the parasites off the stingray. The stingray, in turn does not eat these fish because they help it get rid of parasites. This is a mutually benificial relationship because the fish can eat and not starve, while the stingray can get rid of the parasites that it has. Sometimes sting rays are spotted jumping out of the water to get rid of parasites this is not ideal because the stingrays could run into preditors to and from the surface, this also wastes a lot of energy. The cleaning stations provided by the fish are a much safer and less tiresome alternative. Environmental pressures that may have resulted in this adaptation maybe that too many stingrays were wasting energy and getting killed tiring to get to the surface to get rid of parasites. As an alternate way to get rid of parasites the stingray has not eaten the fish that are eating the parasites off it. Also parasites are using the stingray as a host which may harm the stingray; so by getting rid of them by going to a cleaning station the stingray saves energy and is also benefiting by having no parasites.
 * The stingray’s adaptations**
 * First adaptation – Defense (stinger)**
 * Second Adaptation – Respiration (Gills, mouth, spiracles)**
 * Third Adaptation- Movement (pectoral fins)**
 * Fourth Adaptation- Sight (eyes)**
 * Fifth Adaptation- Cleaning Stations (relations with other fish)**

__**Prehistoric ancestor of the stingray- Angel shark**__


 * Kingdom: || Animalia ||
 * Phylum: || Chordata ||
 * Class: || Chondrichthyes ||
 * Subclass: || Elasmobranchii ||
 * Order: || ** Squatiniformes ** ||
 * Family: || ** Squatinidae ** ||
 * Genus: || **// Squatina //** ||

An Angel shark looks like a cross between sharks and sting rays.The sting ray is also related loosely to lungfish and other fish but it is more closly related to sharks than anyting else. The angle shark doesn’t have a stinger like the sting ray but instead has a tail like a shark. The angle shark has a flat upper body similar to the body of a stingray, although the body is longer. The Angle shark shows a state of change between the shark and the Stingray.

The angel shark probably is near extinction as a result of lack of protection or defensive traits. For example the stingray has a stinger to protect itself and the great white shark has its large size and jaws to protect itself. The angel shark has not much to defend itself apart from its jaws and it has a large and conspicuous size. Although it has a dark skin tone for it to hide in rock the angel shark is almost defenseless when spotted because they only have their jaws to protect themselves unlike their evolved relatives who have better and more efficient ways of defense and hiding. Also the angel shark is an ambush predator so if no prey come by its location it might starve or go out to find pray then get killed by preditors.
 * Selection pressure**

The angel sharks live in marine temperate and tropical environments similar to the environments that stingrays live in. The Angel shark buries itself in the mud or sand or just camouflages on top of rocks. They mainly leave to hunt at night or they stay in their location until a prey comes in their reach. Angel sharks change their locations occasionally, but they defiantly change their location if a fish colony discovers its hiding spot. The angel shark mainly stays in its position for days at a time unless its location is found out. The region the angel shark lives in is similar to that if the modern sting ray. This maybe because they have similar characteristics and body shape. The angel shark stays in one are because it is a ambush hunter. The angel shark has been around for about 409 million //years // and the angle shark is has lived on earth in the area shown below.
 * Angel shark habitat**




 * __A similar way of living to the Stingray__**

The angel shark is closely related to the sting ray. They both show similarities in character and appearance. They have quite similar behavior and features. They so however show difference in the way they defend themselves and also the diet and hunting are different. Angel Sharks like stingrays have a very strange way of moving the angel shark has very strong fins on the front part of their bodies that they flap like wing to help them move around in the water. Angel sharks are not particularly energetic the can stay in one spot for days similar to stingrays, although the Angle shark is semi-nomadic this means that the shark moves relocates occasionally. The angel shark has adapted to have minimal movement in its daily activities the angel shark mainly stays in the buried in the sand, as an adaptation the angel shark is an ambush predator. The angel shark stays in one spot until a prey comes, and then it ambushes it. Angel shark’s have pectoral fins similar to those of the stingray but the use the fins less in a way. The angel shark uses its front pectoral fins by flapping them but then to sway its body in the direction it wants the angel shark uses its dorsal fins (which are more shark like than ray like) to use almost as a rudder. This makes the shark able to turn tight corners and catch prey very fast. The little amount of buoyancy that the angel shark has allows the angel shark to have the ability to lie on the sea floor for hunting for prey, the less buoyancy they have makes it so that the angel shark can stay idle for a long time. Environmental pressures that might have made the angel sharks adapt might be that the angel sharks were not getting enough food so they had to adapt to conserve energy by being stationary and hunting for prey at the same time. The little buoyancy the angel shark has makes the angel shark be able to stay stationary so that the preditors can’t see them. This might have been influenced by the preditors noticing the angel shark and so by not moving the angel shark become less conspicuous. The angel shark spends most of the time under sand too so that might also be an adaptation that they took on so that the preditors will not spot them. The angel sharks like stingrays are very efficient and illusive the way they are adapted. The angel shark has a very interesting way of breathing; this method is the same as the stingrays and it is very useful for sharks with the characteristics because they bury themselves in sand. The angel shark has many features that make respiration easier. The unique way the angel shark respirates it that the angel shark has its nostrils and gill slits located on the bottom of the angel shark and it also has spiracles behind its eyes. The water (containing the oxygen) which the Angel Shark needs goes through the spiracles behind the eyes of the angel shark. The angel shark exhales the water though the gills located on the angel shark’s underbelly. This is a useful adaptation for the angel shark because the angel shark can respirate without really needing to move and is also good because angel sharks mostly lay flat on the ground and so by enabling the angel shark to inhale water from the spiracles the angel shark can have its mouth free while waiting for prey or hiding from preditors. The environmental pressures that might make the angel shark need to make these adaptations might be because it is very difficult for the angel shark to breathe while it is in the sand waiting for its prey. The adaptations are quite necessary because not being able to breathe while hiding in the sand means that the angel shark cannot hide making it more likely for the angel shark to get eaten or killed, and it would make the angel shark have difficulty breathing while hunting for prey. The way the angel shark breathes it ideal for its characteristics. The angel shark has a very good sense of smell, this mean that while in hiding the angel shark can sniff out the prey. The reason the angel shark has such a good sense of smell is that the angel shark has barbels on each side of its face. The barbels are almost whisker like parts of the angel shark’s body that are used to give the angel shark a good sense of smell. These organs are used in hunting, because the angel shark is an ambush hunter is stays stationary for a long time in one spot. When a prey approaches the angel shark, the angel shark can use its barbels to sense the chemical reactions of prey at the bottom of the ocean floor. This is a useful adaptation because it alerts the angel shark when a prey is about to approach so it can prepare to strike it. It is also useful because it can be used while the angel shark is in hiding. The environmental pressures that may have cause the angel shark to adapt maybe because it would be hard for the angel shark to stay alert all day so the chemical reactions caused by the pray give the shark a signal that a prey is coming close. Without the barbels the angel shark would not be able to be so alert all the time when preparing to ambush, so it may miss an opportunity to get prey if it does not realize it is there. This also makes the angel shark a lot more efficient in hunting because the smell could be detected so that the angel shark can prepare to ambush the prey when the prey comes. This adaptation of the angel shark is extremely useful for its hunting and ambushing. So the pressure of the angel shark not being able to get the prey fast enough might have caused this adaptation. Also the pressure of the Angel shark missing out on potential prey could also have caused this adaption. The mother angel shark gives birth too up to 13 pups. A collection of pups is called a litter. The pups are kept in eggs before birth, when it is time for the mother to give birth to the pups the pups hatch out of the eggs inside the mother and there is no nourishing placenta to sustain the young. This method of giving birth is called aplacental vivipary. Even though a shark can have up to 13 pups the normal litter size is 8 to 13. The males mature earlier than females, reaching at about 8 years, while the females reach it at about 13 years. This birth of the pups from eggs is a very useful adaptation because the eggs would be quite safe inside the mother angel shark. If the eggs were to be layed out side of the mother shark there would be a risk of the eggs being eaten by other animals. The sexual maturity of the sharks is also a helpful adaptation because the males can mate at a younger age. The environmental pressures that may have caused this to have happened maybe because the sharks and skates had their eggs taken from their prehistoric ancestors and over the years they have adapted so that the eggs would hatch inside, so the defenseless eggs would not come in contact with the preditors. If the mother shark were to come across preditors, it could at least try to protect itself. Also the early sexual maturity may have come from the male angel fish not reproducing enough so the ones with earlier sexual maturity had the majority if the pups and therefore the trait spread.
 * The Angel Shark’s adaptations**
 * First Adaptation- Movement (pectoral fins)**
 * Second Adaptation – Respiration (Gills, mouth, spiracles)**
 * Third Adaptation- Barbels**
 * Forth Adaptation- Birth**

The Angel shark has a powerful and relatively large jaw that can swallow some fish whole. This means that the angel shark can engulf and kill its prey really easily. This is a very practical adaptation for the angel shark because it is useful when the shark is hiding from its prey preparing to ambush it. The angel shark can also trap its prey much quicker this mean that the prey is much less likely to get away and also the pray is less likely to survive long enough in the angel shark’s mouth. This adaptation have allowed the angel shark to survive because it has helped the almost guarantee a catch with certain sized animals once it has been engulfed. The environmental pressures may be that the angel shark had trouble with getting prey with a smaller mouth. The smaller mouth may have only wounded the prey but not enough to kill it of stop it. The angel shark the may have adapted to have the larger mouth so when it ambushed the prey the angel shark can capture it in its mouth, kill it, then finally eat it.
 * Fifth Adaptation- Jaws**


 * Future animal-The three tailed ray**
 * I predict that in the future the stingray may evolve into something like this. ||
 * I predict that in the future the stingray may evolve into something like this. ||



The three tailed stingray is what I predict to be the future of the stingrays. The help it survive it have many adaptations. The three tailed stingray has 2 sets or wing like disks, compared to the 1 set the modern stingray has. It also has a larger moth, three stingers instead of one, a harder head and cares for its pups by keeping the pup under its body. The habitat that the three tailed stingray inhabits is similar to those which the modern stingray inhabits. The three tailed stingray is also cold blooded and so can only live within warmer regions of the earth because it is cold blooded. At this time when the three tailed stingray exists, the continents would form one super continent called Pangea Ultima. Pangea Ultima is a continent made of all the continents combined modern continents combined. The three tailed stingray is a saltwater stingrays that lives in the benthic zone, just like the modern stingray. The sea floor provide an excellent place for three tailed stingray to live because the sandy bottom lets the three tailed stingray hide from potential preditors and also the three tailed stingray can conserve energy while laying there. Three tailed stingray can sometimes be found alone, in pairs and even in whole schools. But three tailed stingray are mostly found alone because a school of three tailed stingray would be very conspicuous for prey. Like the modern sting ray the three tailed stingray also has relations with other fish. So the three tailed sting ray will generally live near where the fish that clean it live.
 * Introduction**
 * Habitat:**

The three trail stingray and the fish have a mutual relationship with the fish that live there such as the Bluehead Wrasses and Spanish Hogfish, that clean the sting ray form parasites.We don't know if these still will eat the parasites of the stingray but their might still be other fish that might still do the job. The three tailed sting ray will generally live in the area shaped below. The three tailed stingray has adapted from its ancestor the stingray. The three tailed stingray instead of having 1 disk like fin, it has 2 sets of disks that move in a simlilar way to the stingray’s fins. The three tailed stingray’s adaptation makes the three tailed stingray a lot faster when moving. The width of the three tailed stingray is not really wide, even if it does have 2 sets of fins. This is because the three tailed stingray needs to still be able to hide in the sand. The three tailed stingray can still glide and swim but unlike its ancestors it swims much faster. This is so the three tailed stingray can get way from preditors and also be fast enough to attack the preditors that come to attack it. Environmental pressures that may have caused the three tailed stingray to have these 2 sets of fins maybe because the modern sting ray could not move fast enough. These three tailed stingray can now swim faster with 2 sets of fins and if they want they can also glide with them more easily than before. The environmental pressures that may have caused the three tailed stingray to have 2 sets of fins as well might be that they could not glide far enough. The three tailed stingray can glide for longer distances and with more stability because it has 4 fins.
 * First Adaptation- Movement (wing sets)**

The three tailed stingray has a larger mouth than the modern stingray now. The three tailed stingray needs a larger amount of food for it to move around even though it still stays idle for most of its activities. The three tailed stingray uses its larger mouth so it can eat larger fish. With its larger mouth size the three tailed stingray can still eat smaller mollusks(like snails) and other prey. The three tailed stingray can swallow some prey whole like medium sized fish. Environmental pressures that made the three tailed stingray the way it is, are that maybe because after developing more fins the three tailed stingray needed more food to get around, so the three tailed stingray developed a larger mouth. This is so it can easily get prey, get more prey at a time and also swallow bigger prey. This means the three tailed stingray will have more energy to swim around, or does not need to store as much energy while it is resting.
 * Second Adaptation- Feeding (large mouth)**

The three tailed stingray has three tails instead of one unlike its ancestor. The three tailed stingray has adapted this way because its ancestors can get their stingers cut just like people getting their nails clipped. So if the three tailed stingray loses its stinger on one tail it still has two to protect itself with until the stinger grows it back. Also if for whatever reason the three tailed stingray loses one of its tails in the wild it will still have two remaining. The three tailed stingray is also made less predictable if it has three tails because if someone were tiring to catch it the three tailed stingray has three stingers so they will have a harder time catching the three tailed stingray. The environmental pressures that made the three tailed stingray have three tails probably has something to do with the defense of the animal. The modern stingray was being attacked by preditors too often and when it was being attacked it only had one means of den fence, its stinger. The stingers can be cut of or break of. So without the stingers the stingray will be defenseless. So by having three tails the three tailed stingray can still be protected unless the unlikely event occurs that the stingray looses all the stingers on its tails.
 * Third adaptation- Defense (Three tails with stingers)**

The three tailed stingray has a tougher forehead than its ancestors. The reason for this is so that the stingray can dig in deeper into the sand or mud, or it can be used to scoop the sand or mud over its body. The three tailed stingray would have less conspicuous hiding spaces because their body would be covered completely by the sand all the time instead of partially like the modern stingray does. The three tailed stingray can also use its harder head at a defense mechanism to ram the preditors with. The environmental pressures that may cause the stingray to have a harder head might be because the modern stingrays might have difficulty getting under the sand to hide. And also just tails might not be sufficient defense against preditors. If the preditors were to come from the front of the sting ray the three tailed stingray can run into it with its head, instead of having to turn around to stab it with it s stingers..
 * Forth adaptation- Digging (harder head)**

The three tailed stingray has a unique way of caring for its pups. The mother three tailed stingray, after birth, lies gently on top of the pups to ensure they are not spotted by preditors. After the pups reach an age where they can defend them they leave the mother and go on alone. The pup of the three tailed stingray is thinner when it is born making it so that the mother can still cover it while not being exposed. When the three tailed stingray matures it will eventually get wider until the mother cannot safely protect it without being noticed. This is when the pup three tailed stingray will leave its mother. The environmental pressures that could cause this behavior might be that the three tailed stingray’s pups were constantly being lost or eaten because they are an easy target for preditors. And the three tailed stingray mother covers it to shield it to protect it from preditors. If there were a predator big enough to eat the pup, and not big enough to eat the mother, the mother three tailed stingray could eat the predator or maybe wound it with its three tails.
 * Fifth adaptation- nurturing young (lays above pups)**

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