panamic stingray
Urotrygon aspidura
Round stingray of soft bottoms along the Pacific coast, with records from Costa Rica and Panama. It has a venomous tail spine, so be careful when handling it.
Also called: raia-redonda-panâmica, raya redonda panámica, raya redonda de cola espinosa, panamic stingray
- maximum
- 50 cm
- depth
- 5–100 m
who is the panamic stingray
The Panamic round stingray belongs to the family Urotrygonidae and reaches 50 cm. It lives on the bottom of soft-bottomed coastal waters, 5 to 100 m deep, in the Pacific of Central America and down to Peru. It is benthic, meaning it lives on the bottom. The clearest records come from Costa Rica and Panama. It has a venomous tail spine, which is the main caution with this species. Like the other round stingrays in the group, it has a rounded disc and a thin tail, and it is small.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the panamic stingray; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Ray with a rounded disc and thin tail, with a venomous spine on the tail, a typical trait of the family's round stingrays. Its range in soft-bottomed coastal waters of Central America, and the 5 to 100 m depth range, help tell it apart from beach and shallow-reef round stingrays, such as Haller's round stingray, Urobatis halleri, which lives at 1 to 21 m.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it occurs in the Pacific, from Costa Rica and Panama to Ecuador and Peru, passing through Nicaragua and Mexico, in soft-bottomed coastal waters.
Habitat: Soft-bottomed coastal waters, 5 to 100 m deep.
rules for the panamic stingray
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Venomous species: the tail spine can cause a painful wound. Do not pick it up by the tail; hold it by the disc with care and release it with minimal handling. If stung, seek medical care.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Urotrygon aspidura (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Urotrygon aspiduraNames by country and language.
