You can sponsor this page

Urobatis jamaicensis (Cuvier, 1816)

Yellow stingray
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Urobatis jamaicensis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Videos | Google image
Image of Urobatis jamaicensis (Yellow stingray)
Urobatis jamaicensis
Picture by Estrada Anaya, R.A.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Myliobatiformes (Stingrays) > Urotrygonidae (American round stingrays)
Etymology: Urobatis: Greek,oura = tail + Greek, batis, batidos = a ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 25 m (Ref. 9710). Tropical; 37°N - 7°N, 100°W - 59°W (Ref. 55316)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA to northern South America. Also in Bahamas, Yucatan and throughout Caribbean (Ref. 26938).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 76.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Edge of disk no sharp angles, no dorsal fin. Well-developed caudal fin extends around tip of tail, doubly serrate spine near caudal fin base (Ref. 26938). Disk yellowish, with dark vermiculations and spots that form a variety of patterns on upper surface (Ref. 7251). Lower surface is yellowish, greenish or brownish white, tail with dark spots (Ref.6902).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Commonly found along sandy beaches to the water's edge, and especially in sandy areas in and around coral reefs (Ref. 7251). Raises front end of disc to attract prey seeking shelter (Ref. 7251). Feeds on shrimps, probably also on small fishes, clams, and worms (Ref. 12951). Known to be capable of inflicting dangerous wounds with its venomous spine. Easily approached (Ref. 9710). A live-bearing species, produces 3 to 4 young (Ref. 26938).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Male grasps disc margin of female, swings under her and inserts a clasper. Mating pair is surrounded by other males that swim around and nudge them. Dugger (1987) (Ref. 51118) observed both male and female biting the pectoral fin of its mate (Ref. 49562).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1999. Checklist of living elasmobranchs. p. 471-498. In W.C. Hamlett (ed.) Sharks, skates, and rays: the biology of elasmobranch fishes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland. (Ref. 35766)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 21 June 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Venomous





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | DORIS | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 25.8 - 28.1, mean 27.3 °C (based on 482 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5078   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01047 (0.00559 - 0.01961), b=3.03 (2.86 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.6   ±0.51 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 7.17 [0.77, 112.55] mg/100g; Iron = 0.376 [0.030, 3.868] mg/100g; Protein = 20.4 [15.0, 25.6] %; Omega3 = 0.069 [0.021, 0.205] g/100g; Selenium = 24.1 [4.1, 110.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 47.1 [3.2, 591.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.963 [0.062, 10.956] mg/100g (wet weight);