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Animal profile

Ocellate River Stingray

Potamotrygon motoro

ChondrichthyesSlow-moving rivers, floodplain lakes and sandy shallows of tropical South AmericaData Deficient

Field profile

The ocellate river stingray is a round, sandy-brown ray marked with orange-ringed spots. It lives permanently in fresh water, rests buried in shallow sand, and carries a serrated tail spine responsible for many injuries to people wading in Amazonian rivers.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-12-05

Ocellate River Stingray

South America's river rays cannot return to the sea

Most sharks and rays hold urea in their blood to match seawater. The river stingrays of South America lost that ability along with a working salt-excreting gland, which locked an entire family into fresh water for good.

Read with evidence →

Ocellate River Stingray | Daily Animal Facts