Cartilaginous fish · Myliobatiformes · Dasyatidae

Southern Stingray

Hypanus americanus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The southern stingray — known in Spanish as raya de espina or raya-látigo americana — is a rajiform elasmobranch of the family Dasyatidae native to the tropical and subtropical seas of the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. It has a flat, diamond-shaped body, mud brown above and white on the underside. The barb on its tail is venomous and it uses it in self-defence.

Weight

up to 135.6 kg

Size

up to 2 m

Lifespan

28 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

OceanCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Near Threatened Fish Ocean

40countries 26parks 98dive sites1same family

Fun facts

It swims with an undulating motion of its pectoral fins that makes it highly manoeuvrable, and follows the tide because more food arrives with it.
The barb on its tail is serrated and coated in venomous mucus, which it uses only in defence.
In some shallow areas that serve as nurseries, densities of up to 245 individuals per square kilometre have been estimated.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - cartilaginous skeleton (chondrichthyan fish)
Habitat & environment: Sandy flats beside seagrass beds and coral reefs of the western Atlantic, from New Jersey to southern Brazil, down to about 50 m
Sexual maturity: Males at around 51 cm disc width and females between 75 and 80 cm; females reach 50 % maturity at 5.5 years old
Gestation / incubation: From 5 to 8 months
Litter / clutch size: From 2 to 7 pups per litter, 17 to 19 cm in disc width at birth

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypanus_americanus