Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The Long Island Sound Trawl Survey crew in Connecticut recently trawled up an unexpected catch — a 400-pound Bathytoshia centroura, also known as a roughtail stingray! This huge ocean creature measured a whopping 6 feet long and 5 feet wide!
While not uncommon in the Atlantic Coast from New England to Florida, it is “relatively rare” to encounter this type of stingray in the Long Island Sound, which lies between Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. The sound is an estuary in which ocean saltwater mixes with fresh water from rivers.
Roughtail stingrays have tails with venomous spines; however, they are not aggressive animals and tend to avoid shallow waters where people typically swim.
Connecticut Fish and Wildlife posted a photograph of the stingray on Facebook. The ray was lying on its back with its belly exposed. The crew members took some measurements but chose not to roll it over before releasing it into the water where it swam away “alive and well.”
The roughtail stingray was not the only unusual catch for the trawling crew. They also pulled in a cobia fish. These fish are often mistaken for sharks or remoras.
In September, Connecticut residents also observed dolphins in the Long Island Sound, a sighting that is becoming more common.
In regards to the phenomenon, dolphin expert Sarah Callan stated, “With the warming waters, there is various species of fish that may be up in this area earlier in the year than they have in the past that dolphins might eat.” She noted, “They’re going to go where the food is so sometimes that’s closer to shore so some lucky people who might be out recreationally get to see those animals first-hand.”
Interested in learning more about stingrays and other sea creatures? Swim over to one of our three amazing Ripley’s Aquarium locations to get up close and personal with incredible creatures of the deep!
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
Source: ‘HUGE’ 400-Pound Stingray Found in Long Island Sound
