Short-tailed river stingray
Encyclopedia
The Short-tailed river stingray (Potamotrygon brachyura) is a species of river stingray (Potamotrygonidae
Potamotrygonidae
River stingrays are Neotropical freshwater fishes of the Potamotrygonidae family .They are native to northern, central and eastern South America, living in rivers that drain into the Caribbean, and into the Atlantic as far south as the Río de la Plata in Argentina...

) native to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

; they are known to inhabit Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

basins. Growing to a size of 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) and a weight of 459 pounds (208 kilograms), they are hunted as food and for aquariums.

Description

Short-tailed river stingrays are circular in shape and humped in the back. The biggest recorded specimen was a 661 pounds (300 kilograms) ray, which makes them the largest of the Potamotrygon species. 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

They are mainly distributed throughout the Paraná-Paraguay River (including Cuiabá river in Brazil), Uruguay basins and Argentina.

Diet, Life and Behavior

Female stingrays give birth to up to 19 fully formed young stingrays at one time. The pups will start off eating plankton and then move on to consume small mollusks, crustaceans, the larvae of aquatic insects and fish.

External links

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