Marbled Ray

The marbled ray is a large, little-studied stingray of the eastern Atlantic and southern Mediterranean, often found lying half-hidden on the seabed. It can grow to 250 cm across and weigh as much as 84 kg.

Also known as: Round stingray; Taeniurops grabatus; Taeniura grabata

Its disk shape sets it apart from most large stingrays: rather than the more diamond-shaped outline typical of many rays, this species has a disk that is nearly circular, paired with a tail no longer than the disk.

Its pectoral fin disk is almost perfectly round, slightly wider than it is long, and its tail is no longer than the disk itself. One or more stinging spines sit on top of the tail, followed by a deep fin fold running most of its length. The skin is mostly smooth, with a few small bumps down the middle of the back and three thorn-like points on the shoulders. Colour is dark gray, brown, or olive above with darker mottling, fading to off-white underneath.

It lives on sandy, muddy, or rocky coastal seabeds in the eastern Atlantic from Mauritania to Angola, around the Canary Islands, Madeira, and Cape Verde, and occasionally in parts of the Mediterranean. It occurs at depths from about 10 to 300 metres.

By day it often lies partly buried in sand or mud, tucks under ledges, or rests in open spaces between reef structures. It hunts bottom-living fish and crustaceans and gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs.

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  Atlantic Stingray

  Hypanus sabinus

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  Bluntnose Stingray

  Hypanus say

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  Broad Cowtail Ray

  Pastinachus ater

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  Common Stingray

  Dasyatis pastinaca

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  Feathertail Stingray

  Pastinachus sephen

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  Haller's Round Ray

  Urobatis halleri