The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species of Batoidea found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England to southern Brazil (the East Atlantic populations are now generally considered a separate species, the Lusitanian cownose ray (R. marginata)).

This spine has teeth lining its lateral edges, and is coated with a weak venom that causes symptoms similar to that of a bee sting.

[7] Cownose rays are migratory and social creatures and reside on the east coast of the United States, Brazil, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico.

[8] This allows for the rays to have the potential to live in a wider range of habitats if one area gets too crowded and competition for resources is high.

[8] Cownose rays are known to be abundant in the Chesapeake Bay and migrate to the area for mating and nursery purposes, typically in the late spring and summer time.

[2] The cownose ray exhibits a durophagous diet, meaning it feeds upon hard-shelled organisms, such as mollusks, crustaceans, but they prefer scallops or clams, which have softer shells and are categorized as bivalves.

The cownose ray sits fairly high up on the food chain, and as a result only has a few natural predators.

[4] Cownose rays are ovoviviparous, meaning that the embryo grows within its mother until it is ready to hatch.

The length of gestation is believed to last between 11 and 12 months, and at full term, the offspring are born live, exiting tail first.

[2] Males have been observed leaving the Bay earlier than the females to arrive at a second feeding ground, and the reason for taking a longer migration route is not fully known.

[1] The overfishing is due to the perception that rays destroy oyster beds meant for the shellfish industry.

[5] The trophic cascade in the northwest Atlantic Ocean has been cited and used to link cownose ray overpopulation to the decrease in large coastal sharks, which therefore cause bivalves populations valuable for commercial reasons to be depleted; however, there is little evidence that supports this hypothesis.

[5] Cownose rays reach a mature age later in their lifecycle and long gestation periods, meaning that they are a K-selected species.

[15] Cownose rays can be seen in many public aquaria worldwide and are often featured in special 'touch tanks' where visitors can reach into a wide but shallow pool containing the fish, which have often had their barbs pinched or taken off (they eventually regrow, similar to human nails), making them safe enough to touch.