This creates a steep depression in the sediment. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. An Australian Cownose Ray caught near Wattamolla, New South Wales, April 1999. They have a distinctive bi-lobed head, with two large fleshy lobes under the snout. The mouth is on the underside. Predators of the Deep gallery.Suit Up & Dive In With Our Newest Aquarium Experience — Sharks!Enjoy new thrills, adventures and fish-filled fun each time you visitWe use cookies to facilitate a user-friendly experience and track site usage. Young-of-year cownose ray positioned and fastened on surgery platform which is constructed to hold varying size rays. In this section, explore all the different ways you can be a part of the Museum's groundbreaking research, as well as come face-to-face with our dedicated staff. Come and explore what our researchers, curators and education programs have to offer! These are often mistaken as the entrance to the mouth. They have a distinctive bi-lobed head, with two large fleshy lobes under the snout. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.Receive the latest news on events, exhibitions, science research and special offers. The Australian Museum is closed to the public until Spring 2020 to enable a major renovation.
In this section, there's a wealth of information about our collections of scientific specimens and cultural objects. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of the cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill, 1815), to manipulate oysters and clams, to test for relative prey preference, and to investigate whether susceptibility to cownose ray predation changes with bivalve ontogeny. Introduction. A cownose ray uses electroreception to search sandy seafloors for burrowed prey, like clams. It is a male, 1120 cm in length, 85.5 cm across the pectoral fins (the "wings"), and weighs approximately 13 kg.The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Once the ray locates its prey, it uses its pectoral fins to stir up sediment, while at the same time sucking water and sediment out through its gills and away from the seafloor.