SeaLifeWiki
← All species

Ray

Cownose ray

Rhinoptera bonasus

Shallow coastal and estuarine waters

Explore recorded regions ↓
Cownose ray

Photo: (c) Devin Floyd, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY · Source and license. Displayed as a resized crop. Photograph illustrates the species.

Habitat
Shallow coastal and estuarine waters
Habitat zone
Coastal shallows; numeric depth varies by source
Viewing activities
Offshore

Life and behavior

Migrates into the Chesapeake Bay during warmer months, including for reproduction.

Seasonal context

Summer presence in Chesapeake Bay is described by the regional reference; timing varies.

WHERE HAS IT BEEN RECORDED?

Explore the featured regions

These dated records show past presence. They do not establish today’s abundance, guarantee a sighting, or describe the species’ entire range.

Chesapeake Bay

Recorded here

5,944 OBIS records in the regional query · snapshot 2026-09-12.

Individual records in this sample do not supply habitat or depth. Use the species reference above for biological context.

Explore the regional map →
View example source records
  • OBIS · 2023-07-13SERC Cownose Ray Study · ACT.HYPOXIA · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • OBIS · 2023-06-21SERC Cownose Ray Study · ACT.HYPOXIA · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • OBIS · 2021-08-19SERC Cownose Ray Study · ACT.CBBBMB · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/