Rank Species | Phylum Chordata | |
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Similar Porcupine river stingray, Potamotrygon falkneri, Magdalena river stingray, Potamotrygon orbignyi, Raspy river stingray | ||
The short-tailed river stingray (Potamotrygon brachyura) is a species of river stingray (family Potamotrygonidae) native to the Río de la Plata Basin in South America. It is sometimes known as the giant freshwater stingray, but this name is typically used for the southeast Asian Himantura polylepis.
Contents
Growing to a disc diameter of about 1.5 m (5 ft) and a weight of 220 kg (490 lb), the short-tailed river stingray is the largest freshwater species in its family. They are hunted as food and for aquaria.
Description
Short-tailed river stingrays are circular in shape and humped in the back. The species can reach about 1.5 m (5 ft) in disc diameter and 220 kg (490 lb) in weight, making it the largest freshwater species in the family Potamotrygonidae. They have a dark pattern on their backs, probably used as camouflage. The ray's tail is very muscular and thick, covered with short spines at the base and a venomous sting at the end.
Distribution
The short-tailed river stingray is found in the Río de la Plata Basin, including the Paraguay, Paraná and Uruguay Rivers in the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Lifestyle
Female stingrays give birth to up to 19 fully formed young stingrays at one time. The pups start off eating plankton and then move on to consume small mollusks, crustaceans, the larvae of aquatic insects, and fish.
