Rays, Sand-Swimmer, Various

Sand Rays

Sand rays prefer terrain of loose sand, but can swim through compacted sand or through loose soil or pebbles. Being air fish, they drowned in water as readily as any other terrestrial animal.

Some sand rays are "basic beasts," swimming through the sand as through water as might a simple serpent. Others are enhanced by a Sep Stone Sand Swimmer Symbiont, which SEE. These may be marked by the stone set on or within their forehead. This stone is called a carbuncle.

The rays' high surface-area-to-volume ratio permits them to remain fully oxygenated through transdermal respiration even while buried deep in the sands, but vigorous activity may trigger a need to "breach," an impressive display of leaps about the sand surface during which the sand rays gulp air. Breaching is also a form of play and of mating display.

The carbuncle is a telekinetic living mineral beat. It cleave open the sand before the eel, opening a passage as the eel moves forward, and shutting the way closed behind it. Often, this telekinesis extends to the body of the land-fish, such that its movement is more a flight than a swim through the sand.

Rays, like sharks, have skins studded with tiny bone beads or denticles. The larger the ray, the thicker the scales - and the stronger the protection of their armoring. Like their lesser cousins, these larger rays are frequently found in schools of up to a hundred individuals; carnivorous rays have smaller schools.

Some have evolved stalked eyes, so they can raise their eyes like periscopes to peep about above the sand. Others rely on vibration to alert them to the presence of prey; their vibration sense is sufficiently refined as to allow them to estimate the weight and speed of creatures traveling across the land at a distance of a mile or more.

Several species also have a bioelectric sense that allows them to locate nearby prey with pin-point accuracy, even when unseen. They use this to aim a leaping charge, the impact of which usually knocks prey over, rendering it vulnerable, and, if the ray weighs at least half as much at the target, may stun. Some sand swimmer land sharks (which SEE), distant cousins of the sand rays, have a similar bioelectrical sense.

Basking rays have photosynthetic symbionts, coloring them either ruddy or green. The two colors are equally tasty. Green rays are colored by colonies of symbiotic algae sheltered under their transparent scales as in micro-greenhouses. Ruddy sand rays are colored by thermosynthetic symbionts. Green rays bask on the surface in mild weather or just under a thin layer of sand, enough to moderate the sunlight but not block the light their algae symbionts need. Ruddy rays may bask from one to six inches below the surface, depending on how hot the sand is. Both sorts seek the shelter of the depths when they sense danger or when the sun is insufficient for their symbionts. When at the surface, often only their retractable, well-camouflaged periscope-like eyestalks are visible.

Basking rays are generally very non-aggressive, but some carnivorous rays can mimic their harmless cousins. Only if disturbed will a green ray strike with its tail. The green ray's tail is twice as long as its body, and very dexterous. It is armed with multiple spines that strike as giant harpoons; legends that some can shoot their spines are based on fact.

Churner rays are among the non-aggressive sand rays with electrical shock capabilities that often bask just under the surface, forming moats of living electrical mines. Schools of churner rays may number in the thousands, each school keeping to a surprisingly small territory. Churners are a behavior-defined class of creatures that includes sand rays, filter-feeders that cultivate the sand seas; SEE Sand Seas; Grain-Plankton, Churners and Snufflers.

The largest of basker rays, red and green, including churner species are the massive leviathan sand rays, which SEE, with widths measured in the hundreds of feet; tales of leviathans of over a thousand feet in width as assumed to be tall tales. Sand-sea sailors hunt these great creatures much as salt-sea sailors hunt whales.

Some 10% of all ray species have the ability to inflict an electrical shock. The aggressive use this to stun prey. Many non-aggressive species use this shock to warn off potential predators.

A few species use a sort of reverse electrical shock. Instead of inflicting externally directed electrical charge, they drain bioelectrical energy from those who pass above them; SEE Withering Rays.

The venom of the rays' tail stings is extremely painful, a quality that, with proper treatment, can be retained when they are made in to hafted blades. Such blades are valued for ritual purposes as well as fighting weapons. For long-term effectiveness, the sting must be transferred directly from a live fish to the haft; hence the markets for live venomous rays. SEE Pongee Ray for more venomous stings.

The arctic wastes are populated by photosynthetic snow-swimming rays, clear as ice tinged blue-green. While morphologically similar to rays of flesh and blood, these ice rays are not related; arctic explorers are recommended to SEE Ice Beasts, General. Some of these ice rays can be very territorial, especially when guarding eggs or young.

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Last update Apr 6, 2006