General Description

Disc flattened, almost circular, tail slender, tapering, with a prominent serrated spine, a long leaf shaped tail fin; dorsal fin absent. Pale grey above usually with one to four regularly arranged dark edged white spots, a concave bar between the eyes and a whitish underside. Usually 30 cm long head to tail tip (up to 38 cm).

Biology

The Sparsely-spotted Stingaree is widely distributed and abundant on sandy bottoms and in seagrass beds in southern Australia, and often rests partly buried in the sandy bottom. Stingarees must handled with great care as the serrated spine is venomous and can inflict a very painful wound. When wading in sandy shallows and seagrass areas it is advisable to shuffle along to avoid accidentally stepping on one of these rays.

Distribution

Southern Australia.

Habitat

Sandy bottoms of coastal waters and bays.

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