Pictured this week is an animal we don’t see too much of in the saltwater hobby and it’s one we can barely see in the image above. It’s a small saltwater stingray that just so happens to be buried in the sand of this large predator tank seen at Fish Gallery here in Houston. This burying behavior isn’t really one of a predator behavior, as stingrays aren’t ambush predators like angel sharks or scorpionfish. Instead, this behavior is more of a defensive strategy that allows the stingray to hide after catching a meal or conserving energy. As for life in the aquarium, stingrays aren’t ideally suited for the typical hobbyist. The rays required soft substrates and aquariums with a large footprint that provides plenty of swimming room. The improper substrate can cause the bottom of the ray to become irritated and open to infection.
