Freshwater Stingrays

Most common FW stingrays; yellow hystrix on display. There are roughly 24 species of freshwater stingrays, and roughly 200 species all together. Stingrays are unique elasmobranches and cartilaginous cousins to the sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei and consist of 8 families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deep water stingrays), Urolophidae (round rays), Dasiatidae (whiptail stingrays, Potamotrygonidae (river stingrays), Gymnuridae (butterfly rays, and Myliobatidae (eagle rays).Here are a few examples of FW stingrays (below).