Short-tail Stingray

The short-tail stingray, also called the smooth stingray, is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae found off southern Africa at offshore depths of roughly 180 to 480 metres and off southern Australia and New Zealand from the intertidal zone down to about 156 metres. It is mostly bottom-dwelling but will swim into open water, and it is among the largest stingrays in the world, with a heavy body that can span more than two metres across and weigh up to about 350 kilograms. Its diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc lacks dermal denticles even in adulthood, and its tail, usually shorter than the disc, carries large tubercles and a row of thorns in front of the stinging spine.