Butterfly Ray

Scientific name: gymnura micura

Domain: eukaryote

Kingdom: animal

Phylum: chordata

Class: chondrichthyes

Order: rajiformes

Family: gymnuridae

Genus: gymnura

Species: micura

Butterfly rays are found in estuaries and river mouths. They have bilateral symmetry. Butterfly rays have wide pectoral fins, a short snout, and a large mouth. A structural adaptation is that they have a giant mouth to swallow large prey. A behavioral adaptation is that they have broad pectoral fins that allow them to escape quicker from predators. A functional adaptation for only some of the butterfly rays is that they have a stinger on their tail to defend themselves. An interesting fact of the butterfly ray is that they can adapt their color for the shade of the bottom of the ocean as camouflage. Their predators are sharks and other large fish. Their prey is crabs, shrimp, fish, and mollusks. Butterfly rays are heterotrophic and ectothermic.