Dasyatidae

Dasyatidae, the whiptail stingrays, is a family of rays in the order Myliobatiformes found worldwide in tropical to temperate marine waters, with a number of species that have moved into fresh water in Africa, Asia and Australia. Members have flattened pectoral fin discs, oval to diamond-shaped, and long whip-like tails that lack dorsal and caudal fins. All except the porcupine ray carry one or more venomous stings near the base of the tail, used in defence. Species range from about 0.18 to 2.0 metres across the disc, and they detect weak electric fields from prey with the ampullae of Lorenzini. They live on the bottom, often buried in sand or mud with only the eyes showing, mostly in shallow water and sometimes near coral reefs or in mangroves. The family taxonomy was revised in 2016, and the placement of the genus Megatrygon is provisional.