Common Stingray - Dasyatis pastinaca - Long Tail across the Sandy Seabed

A Common Stingray rests on pale sand, its broad diamond-shaped disc and remarkably long whip-like tail fully visible.

The Common Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) has a broad, rhomboid disc that is slightly wider than long, a moderately pointed snout and a very long, slender whip-like tail. Its upper surface is generally greyish-green, olive or brownish, while the underside is pale. The tail carries one or more serrated venomous spines used primarily for defence. This bottom-dwelling ray favours sandy and muddy seabeds, shallow bays and coastal waters, although it may also occur close to rocky reefs. It feeds mainly on bottom-living fishes, crustaceans and molluscs and is found throughout the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, generally from about 5 to 200 metres depth.