What is a stingray's barb made of?

The stinging barb of a stingray consists of placoid scales. These are the special kind of scales like little teeth, that cover the body of sharks and rays and give their skin the sandpaper like texture. read more

The Stingray's barb is covered in a mildly venomous sheath of skin. When the barb is pushed into a foreign body the venom is dispersed. The venom consists of a protein based toxin that causes a lot of pain in the area of the wound and may also alter the heart rate and affect the respiration in a victim. read more

Henry de Monfreid stated in his books that before World War II, in the Horn of Africa, whips were made from the tail of big stingrays, and these devices inflicted cruel cuts, so in Aden, the British forbade their use on women and slaves. read more

Best Answer: The barb is made of cartilage (same as the tip of your nose and your ears) and it's extremely sharp and serrated. Stingrays can regrow barbs and have been found with multiple barbs. Stingray venom typically isn't fatal, but it's extremely painful. The barbs are also brittle and often fragment in the wound. read more