Unlike stingrays, which use their tails for defense, cownose rays rely on theirs as an extension of their lateral line sensory system, allowing them to sense predators even when they cannot see them.

A pair of marine biologists at Harvard University has found that one of the main purposes of the cownose ray's tail is to serve as a fine-tuned antenna. In their study published in the Proceedings ...

The cownose ray's tail functions as a sensory organ, acting like a fine-tuned antenna. Dissections and CT scans revealed tiny holes on the tail connected to a lateral line canal, a sensory system ...