General Description

Head thick, with a broad margin and a fleshy lobe around the snout continuous with the wings; disc short, broad, with smooth skin and a deep notch beside the eye; dorsal-fin origin near rear tips of pelvic fins; tail long, whip-like with a venomous spine just behind the small dorsal fin. Upperside greenish to yellowish-brown with pale bluish blotches or bands, underside pale. To 1.6 m.

Biology

These rays feed on small fishes and invertebrates such as crabs, molluscs and polychaete worms. Females give birth to live young. They are taken as bycatch in trawl fisheries.

Habitat

Common inshore near beaches, sandy shoals and sand flats, to depth of 130 m.

Soft substrates

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Sharks and rays › Stingrays, stingarees and allies

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

1.6 m

Diet

Carnivore

Harmful

Not usually considered dangerous to humans, but venomous spine on tail can cause injury.

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Least Concern