Marine life  /  Sharks & rays  /  Yellow stingray
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Species entry

Yellow stingray

Urobatis jamaicensis

A small round ray mottled in yellow and brown, part-buried on sand in shallow water. Common at Blue Heron Bridge.

Size
To 40 cm
Depth
1–20 m
Habitat
Shallow sand and rubble; common at Blue Heron Bridge
Active
Day and night
Range
Western Atlantic
Rarity
Florida
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
SP-01
yellow stingray · full body · habitat
4:3 · min 2400px

To about 40 cm, a small round ray mottled in yellow, brown and cream, on shallow sand in Florida and through the Caribbean. It buries with only the eyes and the spiracles showing and it is common at Blue Heron Bridge, which is a site people walk into.

The tail carries a venomous serrated barb. It is a defensive weapon and it is used when the animal is trodden on, which is the whole of the risk: shuffle rather than step in shallow sand, and look at the ground before kneeling on it. A barb wound is a deep puncture as well as a sting, and it needs cleaning and medical attention as well as hot water for the pain.

Where to find:

LocationRarity Best monthsDepthHabitat
Florida United States editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
1–20 m
Shallow sand and rubble; common at Blue Heron Bridge
Bahamas Bahamas editorial estimate
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Year-round
1–20 m
Shallow sand and seagrass
Cayman Islands Cayman Islands editorial estimate
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Year-round
1–20 m
Shallow sand beside reef

Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.

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