Spotted Stingaree

Source: Jasper Montana / Museum Victoria

The spotted stingaree, also known as Sinclair’s Stingaree (Urolophus gigas) is a dark brown - black stingaree covered with pale rings and spots on their dorsal side that blends into a creamy underside. The margin of their disc and tail is a dark grey or black.  #Finfact: And like many stingarees, they have a spine behind their dorsal fin that is venomous. 

This animal is endemic to southern Australian from Victoria to Western Australia, including north Tasmania. They call seagrass and rocky reefs home; they don't get more than 35 metres deep. We don't know exactly what they feed on, but it's probably benthic invertebrates and fishes like its relatives. Females give birth to live young, and little is known about their biology. They are listed by the IUCN as Least Concern (LC).

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS ANIMAL?

GLOSSARY

• Benthic zone: The bottom of an ocean or lake.
• Dorsal side: The top of an animal.
• Endemic: Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else.
• Invertebrates: Animals with no backbone (i.e. crustaceans, jellyfish, corals, sea anemones).
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.

SAY HELLO!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

CLEARNOSE SKATE

GENERAL: CHIMAERAS

GENERAL: GUITARFISH