Stingray

ID points

• Flat disc- or diamond-shaped body, lying buried in the sand
• Long whip-like tail with a venomous spine at its base
• Eyes on the upper surface, with the spiracles right behind them

Basics

Family

Dasyatidae

Length

40–150 cm

Depth

0-60 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Tropical coral reefs and sandy bottoms worldwide

Habitat

Sandy bottoms around shallow reefs

Diet

Molluscs, crustaceans, small fish

Easily confused with

Ribbontail RayRound disc-shaped body with thin soft edgesBlue-spotted Ribbontail RayRings of vivid electric blue spots on a yellow-brown groundAngel SharkFlattened like a ray, but the gill slits open on the sides of the body

Fun fact

The bluespotted ray has a rounded disc scattered with bright blue spots, which makes it one of the easiest rays to recognise on an Indo-Pacific reef. The venomous barb in its tail is for defence only. Its eyes sit on top of the body and its mouth and gill slits underneath, so it draws water in through the spiracles behind the eyes and passes it down over the gills, letting it breathe while resting on the sand.