So R.S. Rosa had theorized that Reticulata and Orbignyi were synonymous with each other..
after hearing some info about Orbignyi at the Synposium, it started to make me wonder.. Orbignyi apparently are mainly insectivores that also occasionaly ingest sand. They have very small mouths and do not have the jaw structure that some of the more boisterous rays such as Motoro and Castexi have.
So I noticed - So many people have a hard time with reticulata being finicky eaters and not eating for them. I have personal experience with them having tiny mouths and only accepting small live foods like black worms. Eventually with size and age, they wean onto softer foods like Krill. They still won't even think about pellets or silversides, even when they are 1/4 the size of the krill pieces they are shoving down their throat. Obviously Reticulata have this small mouth/jaw structure and prefer small foods, just like Orbignyi.. also the smooth backs and less denticles on the tail structure...
Now it started to get me thinking - You only see large retics few and far between. Only a few dedicated aquarists have grown them to large size, and it's probably largely due in part of their finicky nature when they are so small.. You usually only see them imported at such a small size for many reasons such as shipping costs, appeal to customers, cheapest stingray available... but they also have a cheap initial cost and some raykeepers overcome all the obstacles to get them to adulthood.
Now.. How come we don't see many big/adult Orbignyi? Well..
If Orbignyi also have this finicky nature, especially when they are juvenile.. it would make them a hard ray to keep - Especially for something considered 'brown and ugly'. They weren't very popular before the Brazil Ban because of the many other options of much more attractive/hardy rays such as Motoro/Leo.. Also less appealing for the seller/importer as well, Ugly brown ray that is finicky eater, costs more to ship because they tend to be larger than reticulata, and not very hardy in comparison to Motoros.
If you think about the people who have the means to facilitate rays - They usually have a bit of pocket change. Why would you go buy a huge tank, only to fill it with an ugly brown ray that is a finicky eater.. ? Of course if you can afford a huge tank you should be able to afford Motoros are something better.. Most people on a shoestring budget would choose the cheapest ray possible - Reticulata - as not only are they more appealing than Orbignyi, but they tend to be cheaper for the reasons listed above.
SOOOooo.. with that being said - I think the reason we never see large/adult Orbignyi is not only are the not a very sellable ray - but they are also hard to keep. They have a finicky diet like retics, unappealing pattern compared to retics, and a higher cost than your cheap 'teacup' retics..
My guess is that most aquarists who attempted to purchase and keep Orbignyi likely failed miserably from bad information and the lack of understanding that they need small foods and must be grown and weaned to other foods over a long period of delicate caretaking.. Only a dedicated raykeeper with a sound knowledge of rays would be able to grow an Orbignyi to adulthood (ie: zoodiverette) .. but any dedicated raykeeper with a sound knowledge of rays - wouldn't waste their time with an Orbignyi, either.
So those are my thoughts - Just thought I would throw that out there..
-Miles
after hearing some info about Orbignyi at the Synposium, it started to make me wonder.. Orbignyi apparently are mainly insectivores that also occasionaly ingest sand. They have very small mouths and do not have the jaw structure that some of the more boisterous rays such as Motoro and Castexi have.
So I noticed - So many people have a hard time with reticulata being finicky eaters and not eating for them. I have personal experience with them having tiny mouths and only accepting small live foods like black worms. Eventually with size and age, they wean onto softer foods like Krill. They still won't even think about pellets or silversides, even when they are 1/4 the size of the krill pieces they are shoving down their throat. Obviously Reticulata have this small mouth/jaw structure and prefer small foods, just like Orbignyi.. also the smooth backs and less denticles on the tail structure...
Now it started to get me thinking - You only see large retics few and far between. Only a few dedicated aquarists have grown them to large size, and it's probably largely due in part of their finicky nature when they are so small.. You usually only see them imported at such a small size for many reasons such as shipping costs, appeal to customers, cheapest stingray available... but they also have a cheap initial cost and some raykeepers overcome all the obstacles to get them to adulthood.
Now.. How come we don't see many big/adult Orbignyi? Well..
If Orbignyi also have this finicky nature, especially when they are juvenile.. it would make them a hard ray to keep - Especially for something considered 'brown and ugly'. They weren't very popular before the Brazil Ban because of the many other options of much more attractive/hardy rays such as Motoro/Leo.. Also less appealing for the seller/importer as well, Ugly brown ray that is finicky eater, costs more to ship because they tend to be larger than reticulata, and not very hardy in comparison to Motoros.
If you think about the people who have the means to facilitate rays - They usually have a bit of pocket change. Why would you go buy a huge tank, only to fill it with an ugly brown ray that is a finicky eater.. ? Of course if you can afford a huge tank you should be able to afford Motoros are something better.. Most people on a shoestring budget would choose the cheapest ray possible - Reticulata - as not only are they more appealing than Orbignyi, but they tend to be cheaper for the reasons listed above.
SOOOooo.. with that being said - I think the reason we never see large/adult Orbignyi is not only are the not a very sellable ray - but they are also hard to keep. They have a finicky diet like retics, unappealing pattern compared to retics, and a higher cost than your cheap 'teacup' retics..
My guess is that most aquarists who attempted to purchase and keep Orbignyi likely failed miserably from bad information and the lack of understanding that they need small foods and must be grown and weaned to other foods over a long period of delicate caretaking.. Only a dedicated raykeeper with a sound knowledge of rays would be able to grow an Orbignyi to adulthood (ie: zoodiverette) .. but any dedicated raykeeper with a sound knowledge of rays - wouldn't waste their time with an Orbignyi, either.
So those are my thoughts - Just thought I would throw that out there..
-Miles
