Southern Stingray
Dasyatis americana
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical to temperate latitudes in the western Atlantic Ocean
ECOSYSTEM/HABITAT
Coastal; live on soft bottoms
FEEDING HABITS
Foraging predator
CONSERVATION STATUS
Unknown
The Southern Stingray is a moderately sized whiptail stingray native to the western Atlantic
Ocean. Unlike the eagle rays, the Southern Stingray spends much of its time in contact with
the seafloor, often buried in soft sediment with only its large eyes uncovered. The Southern
Stingray’s mouth is on the ventral (bottom) side of its head, and it uses an electric sense to
locate a variety of invertebrate and fish prey. Its preferred prey includes many different
species of shrimps, crabs, and other crustaceans.
Like all fishes, the Southern Stingray obtains oxygen from the water using its gills, but its
habit of burying its mouth in the sediment provides an obstacle to passing water from its
mouth to the gill cavity. This species solves that problem by pumping water through
specialized openings – called spiracles – that are located on the top of the head. The spiracles
are located just behind the eyes and are easily noticeable in live individuals as well as
photographs.
Large, mature Southern Stingrays have been known to reach sizes of nearly five feet (1.5 m)
wide, but the average adult size is smaller. Like in most whiptail stingrays, the Southern
Stingray’s tail is very long, often longer than the body width. From birth, Southern Stingrays
are able to use a sharp, serrated barb – attached at the base of the tail – to defend against
predation. If stepped on by a person, the barb can cause severe pain and can lead to a nasty
wound, but it is not otherwise dangerous.
The primary predators of Southern Stingray adults are hammerhead sharks. Both Scalloped
Hammerheads and Great Hammerheads have been observed using their wide heads to pin
stingrays to the seafloor, wildly biting them until they can no longer move. When dissecting
large hammerheads, scientists often find numerous (perhaps dozens) of Southern Stingray
spines lodged in their jaws. Juvenile Southern Stingrays are eaten by other species of sharks
as well.
This species is not generally eaten by people, but it is often captured accidentally in bottom
trawls and other net fisheries targeting other species. Scientists believe this to be a hardy
species, however, and are hopeful that accidentally captured individuals may be released
alive and survive their human encounter. The Southern Stingray is one of the most common
species of large, whiptail stingrays found in public aquariums.
Additional Resources
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/60149/0