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How do stingrays sting?

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When a stingray attacks, it needs to be facing its victim, because all it does is flip its long tail upward over its body so it strikes whatever is in front of it. The ray doesn't have direct control over the sting mechanism, only over the tail. read more

The mechanism is called a sting, up to 8 inches (20 cm) long in a bull ray, located near the base of the tail. The sting contains a sharp spine with serrated edges, or barbs, that face the body of the fish. There is a venom gland at the base of the spine and a membrane-like sheath that covers the entire sting mechanism. read more

You can think of it as similar to the way a scorpion stings, the stingray whips its tail up and over its body to jab the stinger forwards into whatever is above it. The stinger is located almost halfway down the tail on the top surface. read more

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