Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Myliobatiformes
- Family
- Dasyatidae
- Genus
- Dasyatis
- Species
- dipterura
Habitat
Diamond stingrays primarily inhabit shallow coastal waters, including bays, estuaries, and sandy or muddy bottoms along the eastern Pacific Ocean from southern California to Peru. They prefer warm temperate to tropical environments with depths up to 50 meters, where they can bury themselves in the substrate for protection.
Diet
Diamond stingrays feed mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, and mollusks, which they uncover by flapping their pectoral fins to stir up sediment. They are primarily nocturnal foragers, hunting along the seafloor, and occasionally consume small fish if available.
Behavior
Diamond stingrays are mostly solitary but may form loose groups in areas with abundant food. They are nocturnal, spending the day buried in sand to avoid predators and emerging at night to hunt. They exhibit territorial behavior around feeding grounds and can deliver a painful sting if threatened.
Conservation Status
Listed as Data Deficient by IUCN.