Short-tailed river stingray
species of fish
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. It is sometimes known as the giant freshwater stingray, but this name is typically used for Urogymnus polylepis.
Growing to a disc diameter of about 1.9 m (6.2 ft) and a weight of 220 kg (485 lb 0 oz), with unconfirmed records of even larger specimens, the short-tailed river stingray is the largest freshwater species in its family and one of the heaviest strict freshwater fish in South America, only matched by the arapaima (Arapaima) and piraíba catfish (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum). 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.
Description
The short-tailed river stingray is circular in shape and humped in the back. The species can reach about 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) in disc diameter and 220 kilograms (490 lb) in weight, making it the largest freshwater species in the family Potamotrygonidae. They have a dark pattern on their backs, probably used as camouflage. The ray's tail is very muscular and thick, covered with short spines at the base and a venomous sting at the end.
Distribution
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. It may also range into Bolivia in the Pilcomayo River (a tributary of the Paraguay River), but this remains unconfirmed.
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This entry incorporates text from “Short-tailed river stingray” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.