Atlantic Stingrays (D. Sabina) that live in Florida in freshwater

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
ewurm

ewurm

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2006
28,496
79
132
16
*
I have been reading about the Atlantic Rays in the St. Johns river. These fish are known to enter brackish and freshwater on a temporary basis, but there is a population that spends it's entire life in freshwater, in the St. Johns river and it's connected springs. The fish is a euryhaline species that travels between salt and fresh water with a different gill structure than it's freshwater cousins of South America. The fish increases it's urine output tenfold while in freshwater to compensate for the fact that water enters the ray's body through osmosis because of the difference in salinity between it's body fluids and the freshwater environment. I've saved four articles if you're interested in the only elasmobranchs that I can find living in freshwater in North America.

http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=388&issueId=37


http://www.ecofloridamag.com/archived/stingrays.htm

http://nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu/~pmpie/ecoray.htm

http://isurus.mote.org/sharks/stingrays.phtml
 
Nice wurm, thanks for sharing!
 
I think this is the only Sting ray that is legal in California. But I heard they need bracksih or marine water when they are older. Dont know if thats true though.
 
Pyramid_Party;2508919; said:
I think this is the only Sting ray that is legal in California. But I heard they need bracksih or marine water when they are older. Dont know if thats true though.
Click to expand...

I read yesterday that the ones sold in captivity have a harder time adapting to freshwater. The mortality rate is high.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with adaptability - they are perfectly adaptable as proven by the freshwater colony in the St. Johns river..

In freshwater, they just die because they swim in their own piss.
 
Gr8KarmaSF;2509612; said:
Agreed ^

Water changes increase 10x with these guys....
Click to expand...

That's true, their waste ouput is 10x greater in freshwater, and they are more sensitive to water quality issues than most of the commonly kept large SW species.
 
I had one in my office tank.............BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!

Waterchanges everyday. Water smell like straight piss. My office smelled like piss. That's when I really learned to listen to MFK!!!!!!

One thing I liked about the Atlantic ray was that is was really really active. But the smell was awfull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom