Estuary Stingray

The estuary stingray is a small, flattened ray that inhabits shallow coastal waters and river mouths across Southeast Asia. Mottled brown or grey in colour, it typically reaches 50–60 cm across the disc and spends much of its time buried in soft substrate, hunting small fish and crustaceans. Like other stingrays, it has a venomous spine on its tail—a potent defence mechanism that demands cautious handling. Listed as near-threatened, this species faces pressure from habitat degradation and fishing in the murky nursery grounds where it thrives.