Where Does Cownose Ray Live?

Cownose Ray lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.

Where to find Cownose Ray

Water type

saltwater

Depth

Typically found in shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and bays, from the surface down to about 22 meters (72 feet), though occasionally recorded deeper to 45 meters (148 feet).

Environment

Prefers sandy or muddy bottoms where it can forage for benthic invertebrates. Often found in brackish waters of estuaries and coastal lagoons. Highly migratory, moving between coastal and offshore areas.

Geographic range

Western Atlantic Ocean, from New England (Massachusetts) south to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and along the Caribbean coast of Central and South America to southern Brazil. Also found in the eastern Atlantic off West Africa (though this may represent a distinct species, Rhinoptera marginata, or a closely related complex).

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