Polka-dot Stingray [Urobatis jamaicensis]
Description
The Polka-dot Stingray, or Urobatis jamaicensis, is a species of stingray in the family Urotrygonidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This species inhabits shallow coastal waters with sandy or muddy bottoms, often in seagrass beds. It is distinguished by its nearly circular pectoral fin disk, dark top coloration with white spots, and a slender tail with a serrated, venomous spine. It reaches a maximum width of 38 cm. Its diet consists primarily of small benthic invertebrates.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Cartilaginous Fish
Chondrichthyes
|
| Order |
Stingrays
Myliobatiformes
|
| Family |
Giant Stingrays
Dasyatidae
|
| Genus |
Round Stingrays
Bathytoshia
|