Smooth-back River Stingray Potamotrygon orbignyi

The Smooth-back River Stingray is one of several freshwater stingrays native to the Amazon and Orinoco river systems, this one including Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana. A disc-shaped body, it has a brownish or greyish, base colour mottled with a reddish or paler brown and has a smoother skin than most others.

The underside with the mouth is white with a wide, grey border. It can grow to some 35cm diameter excluding its thorny tail which, like all stingrays, has a venomous sting (image above right).

Habitat is mainly sandy or muddy banks and river/lake beds where it can burrow to hide. It eats molluscs and crustaceans. It is threatened by hunting, habitat disturbance and dam construction.