Cowtail Stingray Pastinachus sephen

The Cowtail Stingray, also called Feathertail Stingray among other names, is native to sandy and muddy coastal bays, reefs, estuaries and even well into freshwater rivers of the tropical Indo-Pacific from southern Africa/Red Sea to Japan/Australia. Its name is after the flag-like tail end. One of the largest marine stingrays (seen above with a large Japanese meagre and Javanese Cownose Ray as well as Black-botched Fantails), it can reach 3 metres long (including tail) and 1.8 metres wide. The long-reaching tail has a venomous sting.

The slow-reproducing species is threatened by commercial harvesting of huge numbers in Southeast Asian waters for high quality "shagreen" leather with "pearls" from the dorsal tubercles.