Pearl(y) River Stingray Potamotrygon jabuti

The Pearly or Pearl River Stingray, also called just Pearly Ray or Jabuti Ray, is native to the Rio Tapajós basin in Brazil. (Another ray is also called the Pearl Stingray: Fontitrygon margaritella, a marine stingray native to the coast of West Africa).

The Pearly River Stingray has different juvenile and adult forms: the juveniles are light brown or gold/orange with clear white, orange or brown eyespots (dark-bordered). The adults have a dark brown or black background with beige-gold mesh patterns and spots as shown.

The body disc grows to about half a metre diameter with a thorned tail of 25-30cm containing the venomous barb. The underside containing the mouth is mainly uniform whitish or pale.

Jabuti River Stingray with Doradid Catfish. Habitat is mainly sandy or muddy stream or river beds where it can burrow to hide.

It is threatened by over-fishing and over-collection for aquaria, habitat degradation from deforestation and agriculture, and by its own slow growth and low reproductive rate.