About 220 species of flat, cartilaginous fish with a venomous barbed stinger on the tail. They are common in warm coastal seas worldwide, and some live in rivers.
Quick answers
What is it?Fish
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
A sting is very painful but rarely fatal. Steve Irwin’s death in 2006 was only the second recorded in Australian waters since 1945.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Rays are edible, and stingray dishes are found on coasts worldwide.
At a glance
Found inOceans, Rivers
HabitatCoast, Open ocean, Rivers & lakes
ColoursGrey, Brown, Blue
SizeLarge
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for15–25 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Tropical and subtropical coastal waters worldwide; river stingrays in fresh water.
Did you know
The barb is purely defensive, and it is serrated so it tears coming out.
Stingrays give birth to live young, in litters of five to thirteen.
Often confused with
- Manta ray
Mantas belong to the same order as stingrays; they filter-feed on plankton.
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