# Southern Stingray (*Dasyatis americana*) Southern Stingrays have flat bodies and long tails! They like to hide in the sand and can be found in warm waters. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Shallow coastal waters - **Also known as:** Atlantic Stingray, Common Stingray ![Southern Stingray](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426050/objects/4727.jpg) ## Appearance The Southern Stingray has a distinctive flat, diamond-shaped body, typically brown or gray on top for camouflage, with a pale underside. Its long, whip-like tail, which is often longer than its body, contains a sharp, venomous barb, making it visually unique among its bottom-dwelling neighbors. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Myliobatiformes - **Family:** Dasyatidae - **Genus:** Hypanus ## Interesting facts - Female stingrays give birth to live, fully formed young, not eggs, after a long pregnancy! - Southern Stingrays can sometimes be seen 'stacking' on top of each other in piles to rest. - They are relatives of sharks, both having skeletons made of flexible cartilage instead of bone! - They flap their large, wing-like fins to glide gracefully through the water, looking like flying carpets. ## Special abilities - **Stealthy Seabed Cloak:** Southern Stingrays can quickly bury themselves in sand using their fins, helping them hide from predators or ambush prey. - **Electric Sense:** Southern Stingrays have special organs called ampullae of Lorenzini that help them detect the tiny electric fields of hidden prey. - **Venomous Tail Whip:** Southern Stingrays have a sharp, venomous barb on their whip-like tail that helps them defend against threats. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-100 cm - **Weight:** 10-90 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Swim Speed:** 8 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 60 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding Southern Stingrays are bottom-feeding hunters, expertly digging up tasty crustaceans and small fish from the seafloor. - **Primary Foods:** Shrimp, Crabs, Clams, Marine Worms, Small Fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Tiger Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-shark) (*Galeocerdo cuvier*) — Main predator of larger stingrays. - **Eaten by:** [Bull Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bull-shark) (*Carcharhinus leucas*) — Preys on stingrays in coastal waters. - **Eats:** [Blue Crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-crab) (*Callinectes sapidus*) — A common prey item for stingrays. - **Eats:** Brown Shrimp (*Penaeus aztecus*) — Often consumed by stingrays in their habitat. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Electrogenic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/electrogenic): This trait describes organisms capable of generating electric fields or electric shocks. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Venomous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/venomous): Venomous organisms produce toxins that are injected into another animal, typically through a bite or sting. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Southern Stingray? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Southern Stingray? 30-100 cm ### How much does Southern Stingray weigh? 10-90 kg ### How long does Southern Stingray live? 10-20 years ### What does Southern Stingray eat? Southern Stingrays are bottom-feeding hunters, expertly digging up tasty crustaceans and small fish from the seafloor. ### How fast can Southern Stingray swim? 8 km/h ### Where is Southern Stingray usually found? Shallow coastal waters ### How does Southern Stingray hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Greater Cleveland Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greater-cleveland-aquarium-ohio) — Ohio, US · Aquarium - [Albuquerque Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albuquerque-aquarium) — New Mexico, US · Zoo - [Kansas City Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kansas-city-zoo) — Missouri, US · Zoo - [Florida Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/florida-aquarium) — Florida, US · Aquarium - [Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-aquarium-and-exhibition-center) — New York, US · Aquarium - [Texas State Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/texas-state-aquarium) — Texas, US · Zoo [View all places to see Southern Stingray](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/southern-stingray) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Southern Stingray: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-stingray)