Sealife guideThe yellow stingrayUrobatis jamaicensis

Taxonomy

Common name: Yellow stingray, yellow spotted stingray, round stingray, maid stingray
French name: Raie pastenague jaune
Scientific name: Urobatis jamaicensis (Cuvier, 1816)
Family name: Urotrygonidae
Order name: Myliobatiformes
Class name: Elasmobranchii

Description

The yellow stingray has a flattened, oval-shaped body that measures about 8 inches on average.

The yellow stingray has a flattened oval-shaped body

The dorsal side of the yellow stingray's body is covered with white or yellowish spots and patterns on a predominantly greenish or brownish background. The coloration of its ventral side, on the other hand, is yellowish or brownish-white.

The eyes of the yellow stingray are prominent on the dorsal side of its head, while its tail extends into a small caudal fin.

Range

The yellow stingray can be found in the western Atlantic ocean, from the coasts of North Carolina down to the northern coasts of South America, including the Florida Keys where it is common.

It is also present throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea, along the coasts of the Antilles.

Habitat

The yellow stingray is usually found from the surface down to about 65 feet but is particularly common in shallow sandy areas.

It frequents sandy bottoms of coral reefs and lagoons.

Diet

Buried in the sand during the day, the yellow stingray hunts for prey mainly at night. It primarily feeds on small crustaceans and fish.

The yellow stingray exhibits a wide variation in its color and patterns to better blend into its environment

The yellow stingray's eyes are prominent on the dorsal side, near the head

Reproduction

The yellow stingray is ovoviviparous.

Did you know ?

Like all stingrays, the yellow stingray takes in water through its spiracles on its dorsal side and expels it through the numerous gill slits on its underside to avoid sucking in sand particles.

The yellow stingray displays significant variation in color and patterns to blend more easily into its environment, helping it evade predators while staying hidden and ready to ambush prey.

The yellow stingray is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The yellow stingray appears in the IUCN Red List since 2021 within the category Least Concern !

Tips for observing

As long as the yellow stingray doesn’t feel exposed, it is possible to approach it, but be cautious of its defensive reactions.

The tail of the yellow stingray extends into a small caudal fin

Even though the yellow stingray is considered harmless due to its small size, remember that it has a venomous spine on its tail as a defense mechanism !

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