Spotted Round Stingray

The spotted round stingray is a small, disc-shaped ray with a notably rounded pectoral fin outline and a venomous spine near the base of its tail. Dark grey or brown above with scattered white spots, it inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms in shallow coastal waters, typically 3–40 metres deep, across the eastern Pacific from California to Peru. It feeds on benthic invertebrates and small fish, moving slowly across the seabed or partly burying itself in sand. Like other stingrays, it is ovoviviparous and can inflict a painful wound if stepped on or cornered, so divers should shuffle their feet when wading and avoid handling.