The Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, is the most common type of ray found in the Chesapeake Bay. The rays grow rapidly and male rays are about 35 inches in width and weigh 26 pounds. Females are 28 inches in width and weigh 36 pounds. The Cownose ray's scientific name is . Rays belong to a group of animals which lack a true bone.

Rays are fishlike creatures that are called elasmobranchs. When the ray is small they grows inside its mother, positioned with wings folded over its body. It also gains nutrition from the mother's uterine secretions. It also breaks through what we call a breech birth-tail first. The Cownose ray is 11-18 inches in width at birth. When it gets older it can grow to 45 inchs in width, and weigh 50 pounds or more. It is brown-backed with a whitish belly.

They don't have have a particularly distinctive coloration but its shape is recognizable. It's eyes peer out spookily from the sides of the broad head. It also has a set of remarkable teeth plates designed for crushing clams and oyster shells.

One can also be stung by a cownose ray. The stinger is on its tail really close to the ray's body, and it doesn't usually inflict damage. The stinger is known as the spine which is pointed and it has teeth lining its lateral edges.

The Cownose ray feeds upon clams. It is a voracious eater. They also eat oysters, hard clams and other invertebrates. Rays move as a group regardless of time during feeding. When they locate their prey they place it in their jaws and crush it.