Cartilaginous rays
Stingrays are cartilaginous fishes in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes.
Raysdeclining trend
Stingrays
Stingrays are a diverse group of cartilaginous rays found mostly in coastal tropical and subtropical waters, with species in marine, deepsea, and some freshwater habitats.
StingrayMyliobatoidei
Species Guide
What to know about stingrayses
A clean field guide focused on habitat, identification, behavior, and conservation context without burying the useful parts.
Stingrays are a group of rays in the suborder Myliobatoidei (order Myliobatiformes). The group includes about 220 known species in 29 genera and is divided among eleven families, including eagle rays, manta and devil rays, butterfly rays, whiptail stingrays, and river stingrays. Most stingrays are demersal (living near the sea floor), though some, such as pelagic stingrays and eagle rays, are pelagic. Species occur mainly in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters worldwide; some occur in warmer temperate seas, deep ocean environments, or in fresh water (river stingrays).
Many stingray species are becoming threatened or vulnerable, with unregulated fishing identified as a major cause; some species lack sufficient data for assessment.
Most stingrays are demersal (inhabiting zones near the sea floor), while some species are pelagic and occupy the open water column.
The strongest linked planning options currently surface around destinations such as Caye Caulker, San Pedro (Ambergris Caye), Belize, Bayahibe and Dominicus and countries such as Dominican Republic, Belize, Spain for divers building trips around stingrayses.
