Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Myliobatiformes
- Family
- Dasyatidae
- Genus
- Dasyatis
- Species
- pastinaca
Habitat
This species inhabits coastal waters of the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, favoring sandy or muddy substrates in shallow areas up to 200 meters deep. They are commonly found in estuaries, bays, and near rocky reefs, where they can bury themselves in the sediment.
Diet
Common stingrays primarily consume bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, and mollusks, along with occasional small fish. They forage at night by using their pectoral fins to uncover prey buried in the sand, employing a suction feeding method to capture food.
Behavior
Common stingrays are mostly solitary and spend the day buried in sand to avoid detection, becoming active hunters at night. They exhibit territorial behavior around feeding grounds and can be defensive, using their venomous spine if threatened. These rays are generally slow-moving but can swim quickly in short bursts to escape predators.
Conservation Status
Listed as Data Deficient by IUCN.