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Caribbean Whiptail Stingray

Styracura schmardae

Caribbean Whiptail Stingray
Photo by Matteo Cassella · CC BY-SA

About

The Caribbean whiptail stingray is a large, sand-loving ray of the western Atlantic, ranging from the Gulf of Campeche to Brazil and through the Antilles and Bahamas. It rests on sandy bottoms, sometimes close to coral reefs.

Also known as: atlantic chupare stingray

How to tell it apart

Other whiptail stingrays can look similar, but the large, four-ridged tubercles on this ray's shoulders are a distinctive mark to check for.

Appearance

It has a broad, oval disc with a long snout and an almost straight front edge. The body is dark brown to olive above and pale yellowish white below, with the tail turning blackish near its tip. Small bumps called tubercles cover its back, with larger four-ridged ones on the shoulders. The short, slender tail carries a single saw-edged spine and has no fin folds.

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