All fish / Urotrygonidae

Yellow Stingray

Urobatis jamaicensis

Also known as yellow stingray, yellow spotted stingray, jamaica stingray, round stingray, caribbean yellow stingray, イエロースティングレイ, 牙买加扁魟, 黄魟

A small round stingray with a short, paddle-like tail and a dense network of yellow, brown and pale spots that lets it vanish against sand and rubble. It is one of the few rays small enough for a large home marine system, and keepers enjoy watching it bury itself and glide over the substrate.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

700 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, squid, clams, mussels, crab and fish pieces

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 25 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: Florida, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to northern South America

Breeding

It is aplacental viviparous, with females giving birth to a small litter of live pups after about three months. Captive births do occur in large public and private systems, but raising them needs a lot of space and steady feeding.

Good to know

Has a venomous tail spine that can cause a very painful wound, so take care during maintenance. Needs a wide, open sand bed of fine substrate, excellent water quality and tankmates that will not nip it; avoid crabs and small invertebrates it may eat.