Differences

I had a conversation of sorts (through blog comments) about the differences between a Stingray and a Skate so I thought perhaps I would outline some differences between some things around Deltaville (and its surrounding neighbors).

Skates and Stingrays are very similar though the main difference is that Skates do not have the stinging barb on their tail a stingray does.  Skates also tend to stay in more of a marine environment- that is they don't care for brackish water.  Stingrays of course have a barb on their tail that can cause a bad sting if the stingray is in danger.  Most stings occur when the animal is stepped on.  The tail comes up and the stinger hits the leg of the offender.  A good way to prevent stepping on a ray is to shuffle your feet while wading.  I think based on what I read, that the ray is what people see most often in the tributaries of the Bay. 

Let's go for another difference- Flounder and Hogchokes.  First, the less obvious- Hogchoke was the cooler CB handle and no one wanted to be Flounder (I ended up with Jabber Jaw- NO idea why).  Hogchoke (or Hogchokers) have their eyes and mouth on the right side of their body while Flounder have their eyes and mouth on the left side.  Hogchokes got their name because farmers used to feed them to their hogs and the hogs sometimes choked on the fish's fins.  Yum.   Nothing says lovin from the oven like fishy smelling pork.