Myliobatis californica The bat ray is named for the wide, angular shape of its pectoral disc, with trailing ‚wing‘ tips and dark brown to black coloring on top. It has a whip-like tail twice the length of its body, with a venomous spine at the base, and distinctly protruding head and large eyes.
Danger to Humans As a non-aggressive marine animal, the bat ray poses little threat
Myliobatis tenuicaudatus This rather small and incredibly shy ray was made famous over the accidental death of celebrity Steve Irwin. They only grow to almost 4 feet wide and are quick to retreat when humans approach, but they have long venomous stinging spines at the base of their whip-like tail
Danger to Humans The Australian bull ray is considered venomous due to its stinging
Negaprion acutidens This shy, sedate shark isn’t much of a threat to humans unless provoked. It can get quite large though, upward of 14 feet long, and it closely resembles its sister species the Lemon Shark, except for the slightly more exaggerated curve of its pectoral fins. Typically yellowish
Photo © Becky Kelly Danger to Humans This species is quite shy when approached
Chaetodipterus faber This silver and black striped, disk-shaped fish schools in groups as large as 500. Although it’s the only of its family to live in the Western Atlantic, there are a few fish that look similar. The Atlantic spadefish can grow to almost 36 inches and 20 pounds. Some anglers lik
Danger to Humans There have been reported cases of ciguatera from human consumption
Hippocampus erectus These specialized fish are poor swimmers and rely on their coloring and texture to camouflage themselves among coral, seagrass, or mangroves where they ambush much smaller prey by sucking them into their toothless snouts. They choose a mate for a season or a lifetime, have com
excellent camouflage, and their body structure of bony plates, they have little danger
Scomberomorus regalis This solitary torpedo-shaped fish is streamlined and strong, with finlets running between the prominent second dorsal and anal fins, and the crescent caudal (tail) fin. It is a green-blue from above, and mostly silvery white except for brassy spots and streaks on its sides n
Danger to Humans There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning from human consumption
Rhizoprionodon terraenovae This small, slim shark rarely grows more than 3.5 feet long, and has a distinctly long, pointed snout, and large eyes. It likes to forage in surf zones and estuaries, so it comes into contact with humans frequently. It is not considered dangerous though because most bit
Danger to Humans Shark fishing boat.
Rhizoprionodon porosus This small requiem shark is often confused with the Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) so much so that the two were only recently distinguished as different species. These small sharks are considered harmless to humans. Order: Carcharhiniformes Family
Danger to Humans This shark is considered harmless to humans primarily due to its
Mitsukurina owstoni Not a great deal is known about this rare shark. Living in the deep ocean, the goblin shark catches prey by quickly projecting its jaw forward. This feature and its large extended snout prompted its fearsome name. Order – Lamniformes Family – Mitsukurinidae Genus – Mi
Danger to Humans The goblin shark seldom comes in contact with humans; however,
Taeniura meyeni This large stingray can grow to almost 6 feet wide and over 300 pounds. The pectoral disc is very round, with black, white and gray splotches across its brown to grey to purplish top, and a white underside. The tapering tail is usually slightly shorter than the body length, and ha
Danger to Humans Although not typically aggressive, this ray has been responsible
