Er...The Atlantic is warmer than the Pacific (along the US) due to the Gulf Stream. The Pacific (along the US) receives the Arctic Flow. The Atlantic ray occurs in the St John where hot springs keep the water around 72F. Spring, summer, and fall temps can average 78F.
That price is a 'normal' retail price.
Here's some more info on the Atlantic ray:
The Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina)
The Atlantic Stingray is a common North American fish found along the Gulf of Mexico and south-eastern Atlantic coasts, ranging as far north as the Chesapeake Bay, and as far south as Central America. It belongs to a sub-class of cartilaginous fish known as the elasmobranchs, which includes all species of sharks, skates, and rays. Stingrays are grouped under the Order Myliobatiformes. The Atlantic Stingray is a member of the Family Dasyatidae, commonly known as the "whip-tailed" rays. Species in this family have relatively slender "whip"-like tails armed with a venomous barb. The barb or spine is used for defense and can inflict a serious wound on humans if accidentally stepped on.
An interesting aspect of the Atlantic Stingray's biology is its ability to handle variations in environmental salinity. In general, elasmobranchs are considered to be stenohaline (salinity restricted) marine species; less than 5% of all elasmobranch species have been found in fresh water. The Atlantic Stingray, however, is a glaring exception. It is often found in estuaries and far up rivers during the warm, summer months. The populations that I am interested in have gone to the extreme by living year round and reproducing in freshwater lakes of the St. Johns River, FL. Although an extensive tag and release program has not been conducted, it is unlikely that these animals are making consistent migrations back and forth between marine and freshwater environments.
Even though it is not likely that the freshwater stingray populations in the St. Johns River migrate to the ocean, they have not lost the physiological ability to do so. I have conducted experiments that demonstrate freshwater D. sabina from Lake Jesup can acclimate to sea water (30 ppt salinity). They are able to do this because even in fresh water their kidneys reabsorb urea. Unlike the stenohaline freshwater South American Stingrays of the family Potamotrygonidae, D. sabina still has the neprhon segment associated with urea retention. So, in essence these animals are "primed" for return to salt water by reabsorbing more urea when faced with a salinity increase.
This urea retention, however, does have some tradeoffs. In fresh water, the stingrays still retain about 50% of their urea leading to a total osmotic pressure that is 15 times greater than their environment. So these animals face a very large osmotic uptake of water. To compensate for the influx of water, these stingrays have a considerable urine flow rate which is almost 10 times higher than those found in marine individuals.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
General Facts About the Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina)
Prepared by Nicole Reid
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondricthyes
Subclass: Elasmobrachii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Dasyatis
Species: sabina
Physical Description
Þ Adult body size 25-35 cm disc width, females usually larger.
Þ Disc rhomboid in shape, snout projecting as a broad-based triangle with pointed tip
Þ Brown or yellowish brown above, paler towards margin of disc
Þ Male claspers, with simple tips
Geographic Distribution
Þ USA, from Chesapeake Bay to Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico coast to central America.
Þ Depth range from intertidal zone to 20m (66 ft)
Þ Most common in shallow coastal areas
Habitat Preference
Þ Muddy, sandy bottom
Þ Bury themselves in the sand (camouflage)
Food and Foraging Habitat
Þ Feeds on surface, infaunal, and tube dwelling species, including tube anemones,
Polycheate worms, small crustaceans (amphipods mole crabs, pistol shrimp), clams
and serpent stars
Þ Bottom dwellers, mouth is located on the ventral side
Þ Face into current while feeding, current carries the sediment away from mouth
Courtship and Reproductive Biology
Þ Ovoviviparity (form of live bearing)
Þ Males? claspers near cloaca and the end region of the claspers (glans) contain tiny structures hooks, spines that open during copulation maintaining contact within the female (holding) and transferring semen.
Þ Males often initially follows the female snout close to her cloaca with some degree of nibbing and biting of the female disc
Þ Breeding period: October-March
Þ Litter size: 1-4, usually 2-3
Þ Gives birth in mid to late summer in Florida
Þ Gestation period: April-August
Defense Mechanism
Þ Stinging spines, modified dorsal fin structure that tapers to a sharp point edges are serrated
Þ Once driven into a victim sting remains. Venom is produced along two narrow grooves
Florida Connection
Þ St. John River has the only freshwater population in North America of any elasmobranches
Communication
Þ Pheromones
Conservation Status
Þ None
REFERENCES
Biglow, H.B. and William C. Schroeder. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic Part two.
Sears Foundation for Marine Research,Yale University. 1953.
Micheal S.W. Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. Sea Challengers. Petaluma, Ca. 1993.
Tricas, T.C. et al. The Nature Company Guides Sharks and Rays. Weldon Owen. San Francisco, Ca. 1997.
That price is a 'normal' retail price.
Here's some more info on the Atlantic ray:
The Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina)
The Atlantic Stingray is a common North American fish found along the Gulf of Mexico and south-eastern Atlantic coasts, ranging as far north as the Chesapeake Bay, and as far south as Central America. It belongs to a sub-class of cartilaginous fish known as the elasmobranchs, which includes all species of sharks, skates, and rays. Stingrays are grouped under the Order Myliobatiformes. The Atlantic Stingray is a member of the Family Dasyatidae, commonly known as the "whip-tailed" rays. Species in this family have relatively slender "whip"-like tails armed with a venomous barb. The barb or spine is used for defense and can inflict a serious wound on humans if accidentally stepped on.
An interesting aspect of the Atlantic Stingray's biology is its ability to handle variations in environmental salinity. In general, elasmobranchs are considered to be stenohaline (salinity restricted) marine species; less than 5% of all elasmobranch species have been found in fresh water. The Atlantic Stingray, however, is a glaring exception. It is often found in estuaries and far up rivers during the warm, summer months. The populations that I am interested in have gone to the extreme by living year round and reproducing in freshwater lakes of the St. Johns River, FL. Although an extensive tag and release program has not been conducted, it is unlikely that these animals are making consistent migrations back and forth between marine and freshwater environments.
Even though it is not likely that the freshwater stingray populations in the St. Johns River migrate to the ocean, they have not lost the physiological ability to do so. I have conducted experiments that demonstrate freshwater D. sabina from Lake Jesup can acclimate to sea water (30 ppt salinity). They are able to do this because even in fresh water their kidneys reabsorb urea. Unlike the stenohaline freshwater South American Stingrays of the family Potamotrygonidae, D. sabina still has the neprhon segment associated with urea retention. So, in essence these animals are "primed" for return to salt water by reabsorbing more urea when faced with a salinity increase.
This urea retention, however, does have some tradeoffs. In fresh water, the stingrays still retain about 50% of their urea leading to a total osmotic pressure that is 15 times greater than their environment. So these animals face a very large osmotic uptake of water. To compensate for the influx of water, these stingrays have a considerable urine flow rate which is almost 10 times higher than those found in marine individuals.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
General Facts About the Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina)
Prepared by Nicole Reid
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondricthyes
Subclass: Elasmobrachii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Dasyatis
Species: sabina
Physical Description
Þ Adult body size 25-35 cm disc width, females usually larger.
Þ Disc rhomboid in shape, snout projecting as a broad-based triangle with pointed tip
Þ Brown or yellowish brown above, paler towards margin of disc
Þ Male claspers, with simple tips
Geographic Distribution
Þ USA, from Chesapeake Bay to Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico coast to central America.
Þ Depth range from intertidal zone to 20m (66 ft)
Þ Most common in shallow coastal areas
Habitat Preference
Þ Muddy, sandy bottom
Þ Bury themselves in the sand (camouflage)
Food and Foraging Habitat
Þ Feeds on surface, infaunal, and tube dwelling species, including tube anemones,
Polycheate worms, small crustaceans (amphipods mole crabs, pistol shrimp), clams
and serpent stars
Þ Bottom dwellers, mouth is located on the ventral side
Þ Face into current while feeding, current carries the sediment away from mouth
Courtship and Reproductive Biology
Þ Ovoviviparity (form of live bearing)
Þ Males? claspers near cloaca and the end region of the claspers (glans) contain tiny structures hooks, spines that open during copulation maintaining contact within the female (holding) and transferring semen.
Þ Males often initially follows the female snout close to her cloaca with some degree of nibbing and biting of the female disc
Þ Breeding period: October-March
Þ Litter size: 1-4, usually 2-3
Þ Gives birth in mid to late summer in Florida
Þ Gestation period: April-August
Defense Mechanism
Þ Stinging spines, modified dorsal fin structure that tapers to a sharp point edges are serrated
Þ Once driven into a victim sting remains. Venom is produced along two narrow grooves
Florida Connection
Þ St. John River has the only freshwater population in North America of any elasmobranches
Communication
Þ Pheromones
Conservation Status
Þ None
REFERENCES
Biglow, H.B. and William C. Schroeder. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic Part two.
Sears Foundation for Marine Research,Yale University. 1953.
Micheal S.W. Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. Sea Challengers. Petaluma, Ca. 1993.
Tricas, T.C. et al. The Nature Company Guides Sharks and Rays. Weldon Owen. San Francisco, Ca. 1997.
