Description: A large stingray, with a disc about twice as wide as long, transversely lozenge-shaped, the anterior margins almost straight, whereas the posterior margins are slightly convex. Very short snout, bluntly angled. Has a slender tentacle on the inner spiracle margin pointing backward. The tail is extremely short, only about a fourth of the body length, with with one or more serrated, long spines at the base. Dorsal and caudal fins absent. Dorsal surface covered in small thorns in larger individuals; underside always smooth. Dark brown, grey or reddish-brown above, sometimes with spots or blotches or a marbled pattern; underside white; tail often with light and dark crossbars.
Global Distribution: Western Atlantic: New England, USA; Brazil to Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to Angola, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and the Madeira and Canary islands. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum disc width 400 cm; common disc width 200 cm; maximum length 140 cm (total length); maximum published weight 60.0 kg.
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous, gestation lasting about 6 months with 4 to 7 embryos produced per female. In the Canary Islands, females approach the shore in late summer to give birth.
Maturity:
Behavioural ecology:
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 5 - 100 m.
Habitat: Demersal, over sand and mud.
Feeding habits: Feeds on fishes, crustaceans, molluscs and plankton.
Brito A., Pascual P.J., Falcón J.M., Sancho A., González G. (2002). Peces de las islas Canarias. Catálogo comentado e ilustrado. Francisco Lemos Editor, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, 418 pp.
Ebert D.A., Stehmann M.F.W. (2013). Sharks, batoids, and chimaeras of the North Atlantic. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes, No. 7. FAO, Rome, 523 pp.
González J., Hernández C., Marrero P., Rapp E. (2000). Peces de Canarias: GuÃa Submarina (5th edition). Francisco Lemus Editor, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias, Spain, 235 pp.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
