Recently, a new arrival has joined our Hadlow College family at the Animal Management unit, a Freshwater Pearl Stingray called Solo! To welcome him, here’s a few facts about Solo’s species:
- Freshwater stingrays belong to a large family of true rays. These rays are also close cousins of sawfish and sharks.
- Interestingly, they have electrosensitive pores called Ampullae of Lorenzini, which enable them to detect the electronic impulses given off by all animals.
- In the wild the pearl stingray is commonly found along the western coast of Africa, from Cape Blanc in Mauritania to Angola.
- Their offspring are referred to as pups – cute! They usually have 1-3 pups per litter.
- They can grow to up to 30cm wide.
- Freshwater stingray fish is an incredibly unique species of freshwater fish that can live between 5 to 10 years in captivity.
- They are carnivores, meaning they eat meatily. In the wild, these fish feed on small fish, invertebrates, crustaceans, worms, and other aquatic animals.
- The colour of the stingray can depend on the river they live in!
Are you interested in unique species like solo? If so, check out our Animal Management courses where you will get to work with over 100 different animal species! Find out more here.