Short-tailed river stingray | |
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Juvenile | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Superorder: | Batoidea |
Order: | Myliobatiformes |
Family: | Potamotrygonidae |
Genus: | Potamotrygon |
Species: | P. brachyura
|
Binomial name | |
Potamotrygon brachyura (
Günther, 1880)
|
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. [2] [3] It is sometimes known as the giant freshwater stingray, [1] but this name is typically used for the southeast Asian Urogymnus polylepis.
Growing to a disc diameter of about 1.9 m (6.2 ft) and a weight of 220 kg (490 lb), with unconfirmed records of even larger specimens, [4] the short-tailed river stingray is the largest freshwater species in its family [3] and one of the heaviest strict freshwater fish in South America, only matched by the arapaima (Arapaima) and piraíba catfish (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum). [5] The primary threat to the short-tailed river stingray is fishing for food and as a game fish (if not released), but it is also under pressure from habitat loss and occasionally caught for aquaria. [1] [5] [6]
The short-tailed river stingray is circular in shape and humped in the back. [7] The species can reach about 1.9 m (6 ft) in disc diameter and 220 kg (490 lb) in weight, making it the largest freshwater species in the family Potamotrygonidae. [3] [4] [8] They have a dark pattern on their backs, probably used as camouflage. [7] The ray's tail is very muscular and thick, covered with short spines at the base and a venomous sting at the end. [9]
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. [1] [2] [3] It may also range into Bolivia in the Pilcomayo River (a tributary of the Paraguay River), but this remains unconfirmed. [5] In the north it ranges from the upper Paraguay River basin, including the Pantanal, and south to the lowermost freshwater sections of the Río de la Plata. [5] Unlike some other freshwater rays, it has not been able to spread to the upper Paraná River basin after the Itaipu Dam flooded the Guaíra Falls, which represented a natural barrier to its range. [5]
Female short-tailed river stingrays give birth to up to 19 fully formed young stingrays per litter. [1] [6] The pups start off eating plankton and then move on to consume small mollusks, crustaceans, the larvae of aquatic insects, and fish. [1] [6]
Short-tailed river stingray | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Juvenile | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Superorder: | Batoidea |
Order: | Myliobatiformes |
Family: | Potamotrygonidae |
Genus: | Potamotrygon |
Species: | P. brachyura
|
Binomial name | |
Potamotrygon brachyura (
Günther, 1880)
|
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. [2] [3] It is sometimes known as the giant freshwater stingray, [1] but this name is typically used for the southeast Asian Urogymnus polylepis.
Growing to a disc diameter of about 1.9 m (6.2 ft) and a weight of 220 kg (490 lb), with unconfirmed records of even larger specimens, [4] the short-tailed river stingray is the largest freshwater species in its family [3] and one of the heaviest strict freshwater fish in South America, only matched by the arapaima (Arapaima) and piraíba catfish (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum). [5] The primary threat to the short-tailed river stingray is fishing for food and as a game fish (if not released), but it is also under pressure from habitat loss and occasionally caught for aquaria. [1] [5] [6]
The short-tailed river stingray is circular in shape and humped in the back. [7] The species can reach about 1.9 m (6 ft) in disc diameter and 220 kg (490 lb) in weight, making it the largest freshwater species in the family Potamotrygonidae. [3] [4] [8] They have a dark pattern on their backs, probably used as camouflage. [7] The ray's tail is very muscular and thick, covered with short spines at the base and a venomous sting at the end. [9]
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. [1] [2] [3] It may also range into Bolivia in the Pilcomayo River (a tributary of the Paraguay River), but this remains unconfirmed. [5] In the north it ranges from the upper Paraguay River basin, including the Pantanal, and south to the lowermost freshwater sections of the Río de la Plata. [5] Unlike some other freshwater rays, it has not been able to spread to the upper Paraná River basin after the Itaipu Dam flooded the Guaíra Falls, which represented a natural barrier to its range. [5]
Female short-tailed river stingrays give birth to up to 19 fully formed young stingrays per litter. [1] [6] The pups start off eating plankton and then move on to consume small mollusks, crustaceans, the larvae of aquatic insects, and fish. [1] [6]