All fish / Potamotrygonidae

Porcupine River Stingray

Potamotrygon hystrix

Also known as porcupine ray, porcupine stingray, hystrix stingray, hystrix ray, freshwater stingray, p. hystrix, กระเบนน้ำจืดฮิสทริกซ์, ポタモトリゴン・ヒストリクス, pari hystrix, 豪猪魟, 豪猪江魟

A fairly small freshwater stingray with a round brown to greyish disc covered in small pale spots and a dark, net-like pattern, plus a short spiny tail. Keepers like it because it stays smaller than many other river rays and has a lot of character, often learning to beg for food at the front glass.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Single or a pair, in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, shrimp, mussel, white fish, bloodworm and sinking pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Paraná and Paraguay river basins (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay)

Breeding

Females give birth to a few live young after a pregnancy lasting a few months. Hobbyists have bred it in large, mature tanks, but it does not happen often and needs a well-matched adult pair and very clean water.

Good to know

The tail spine is venomous and can cause a very painful wound, so use care during maintenance. It needs a large, sandy tank with powerful filtration and very low nitrate, and some countries limit or ban imports of freshwater stingrays.