Description:
Spotted eagle rays are large and distinctive rays that grow to 9 feet in diameter across the disc.  The disc is broader than its length due to the wing-like pectoral fins, which are widely expanded and taper to falcate points.  The tail is highly elongate and may measure 3 times the length of the disc.  Body color is typically brown to gray dorsally, with many small white ocellations and splotches.  The ventral surface is white.  Unlike in other families of rays, the head is, to some extent, separate from the disc, with the eyes and spiracles set on the sides of the head rather than on top of the disc.  A short rostrum projects from the head.  There is a fleshy dorsal fin set on the whip-like tail.  Two serrated, venomous spines lie posterior to the dorsal fin.  Though a potential danger to swimmers and divers, spotted eagle rays are generally considered harmless due to their shyness near divers and the fact that they do not rest or bury on the bottom, and are thus, unlikely to be accidentally stepped on.

Habitat:
Spotted eagle rays, though sometimes observed in the lower reaches of bays and estuaries, primarily inhabit shallow coastal waters and nearshore reef areas to depths of 200 feet.  They are also known to swim in large schools, sometimes numbering in the thousands, in open waters offshore. 
 

Range:
Spotted eagle rays range from Chesapeake Bay south through Brazil, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.  They are especially common in the waters of south Florida.