Food Habits and Feeding Behavior of the Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, in Lower Chesapeake Bay

Estuaries ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Smith ◽  
John V. Merriner
Check List ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Griselda Pulido-Flores ◽  
Scott Monks

The collection of four specimens of Glyphobothrium zwerneri extends the geographic distribution of the species from the original locality (Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, U.S.A.) to at least Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México, at the southern limit of the Gulf of Mexico. The species is a parasite of Rhinoptera bonasus, a stingray that is thought to migrate within a wide range, suggesting that conservation efforts should be consistent within the stingray’s range, just as is necessary for birds and other species that migrate.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 688-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Cray ◽  
Marilyn Rodriguez ◽  
Cara Field ◽  
Alexa McDermott ◽  
Lynda Leppert ◽  
...  

Behaviour ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 41 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 269-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee C. Drickamer

AbstractFeeding behavior in young and adult Peromyscus maniculalus and P. lcucopus was studied by examining the extent to which food habit could be modified by prior experience and by decribing the pattern of feeding behavior used by the mice in a three-choice situation. Modifiability of food preferences was investigated by providing mice with specific food-cue experience and testing their subsequent preferences. The food preferences of young and adult P. leucopus and young P. m. baiudi were significantly affected by the food-cue conditioning and the effect persisted for at least 30 days. Adult P. m. bairdi food preferences were not affected by the prior experience. Automatic monitoring devices were used to describe the patterning of feeding behavior with three choices present. Analyses showed that; (1) young mice were less flexible initially than adult mice; (2) adult P. leucopus switched feeding sites more frequently than any other group; and (3) young P. m. bairdi avoided a novel food-cue stimulus whereas the other test groups ate readily from this source. The principal conclusion was that P. leucopus exhibited more flexibility in feeding behavior than P. m. bairdi. Food habits and flexibility of feeding behavior were discussed in relation to the habitat distributions of these two species of mice.


2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Collins ◽  
M. R. Heupel ◽  
R. E. Hueter ◽  
P. J. Motta

Atlantic cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) are benthic, suction feeders whose foraging activities have been implicated in severe damage to commercial shellfish industries. With jaws highly modified for durophagy, it has been assumed that R. bonasus are crushing specialists that feed primarily upon hard molluscan prey. Stomach contents from R. bonasus caught within Florida’s Charlotte Harbor estuary between July 2003 and July 2004 were analysed using the index of relative importance (IRI) to determine most important prey types. Prey items were identified from 38 families and fell into nine distinctive groups. The three most dominant prey groups were crustaceans (%IRI = 55.31), polychaetes (%IRI = 25.20) and bivalves (%IRI = 12.58). Shoalmates had more similar diets than non-shoalmates, suggesting group feeding. Most small or softer-bodied prey consumed were relatively intact, indicating lack of prey processing and capture through suction feeding. All larger, harder-bodied prey showed evidence of crushing (fractured and broken shells). Although R. bonasus has been characterised as a hard prey specialist, these results suggest it may behave as an opportunistic generalist, modifying feeding behaviour to consume readily available prey.


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