Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Myliobatiformes
- Family
- Dasyatidae
- Genus
- Dasyatis
- Species
- centroura
Habitat
Roughtail stingrays inhabit coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, from shallow sandy or muddy bottoms in bays and estuaries to depths of about 50 meters. They are commonly found in the western Atlantic from New Jersey to Brazil, as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, often near coral reefs or seagrass beds.
Diet
They primarily feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, and mollusks, using their powerful jaws to crush shells. Feeding occurs mainly at night when they forage by stirring up sediment with their disc to uncover prey.
Behavior
Roughtail stingrays are generally solitary and nocturnal, spending the day buried in sand for camouflage and emerging at night to hunt. They exhibit territorial behavior around feeding areas and can deliver a painful sting with their tail spine if threatened, though they are not aggressive toward humans. They are known for their ability to glide gracefully over the seafloor.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.