Fish · GBIF taxon 9245001
Atlantic Stingray
Hypanus sabinusAtlantic stingrays glide along muddy and sandy bottoms, using their elongated, shovel-like snouts to unearth buried prey. Unique among North American rays, permanent populations thrive in freshwater river systems like Florida's St. Johns River alongside coastal marine habitats. Females give birth to live pups after a months-long gestation period, with young fully formed and independent at birth.
Venomous SpineCoastal MarineFreshwater Capable
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Pistol Shrimp
- Polychaete Worms
- Amphipods
Predators
- Great Hammerhead
- Lemon Shark
- American Alligator
ThreatsCoastal development, runoff pollution, and accidental fisheries bycatch
HabitatsShallow coastal bays, estuaries, lagoons, brackish marshes, and freshwater rivers
Life span7 to 10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderMyliobatiformes
- FamilyDasyatidae
- GenusHypanus
- SpeciesHypanus sabinus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskVery high
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is very high
- Equipped with a venomous tail spine; shuffle your feet while walking in shallow water to prevent stepping on one.
- Why it is dangerous
- A serrated tail spine injects protein-based venom that causes severe, agonizing pain, swelling, and risk of serious bacterial infection.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for a brownish or yellowish diamond-shaped body ending in a distinctly elongated, sharply pointed snout.
- What to do
- Shuffle your feet along muddy or sandy bottoms when wading, and never attempt to pick up or corner a ray in the wild.
Responsible observation
- Stingray Shuffle: Drag your feet along sandy shallows to alert resting rays and give them time to swim away.
- Safe Observation: Watch these bottom-dwellers from above in clear water without attempting to handle or corner them.
Co-occurring Ray 
Close Relative (c) Luciano Massa, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Luciano Massa · cc-by
Close Relative (c) toadlady1, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.