yellow stingray
Urobatis jamaicensis · Urotrygonidae · predator
Yellow stingray of the Western Atlantic, from the Caribbean to the north of South America, with a venomous tail spine. Handle with care.
Also called: raia-redonda-amarela, raya pintada, tembladera, yellow stingray
- maximum
- 76 cm
- depth
- 1–25 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
—
hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the yellow stingray
who is the yellow stingray
The yellow stingray belongs to the family Urotrygonidae and reaches 76 cm. It lives on sandy beaches, up to the water's edge, and on sandy areas near coral reefs, usually at 1 to 25 m deep. It lifts the front of its disc to attract prey that hide in the sand. It feeds on shrimp, sometimes small fish, mollusks and worms. It is viviparous, with 3 to 4 pups per litter. It lets people approach easily, is caught in commercial fishing and is also used in public aquariums.
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 yellow stingray.
identification
Ray with a yellowish disc, with dark spots and vermiculations that form varied patterns on the upper surface. The disc margin has no sharp angles and there is no dorsal fin. The tail has a well-developed caudal fin that wraps around its tip, and a double-serrated spine near the base of that fin. The underside is yellowish, greenish or whitish, with dark spots on the tail.
where found
In Latin America it occurs in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, on sandy beaches and coral reefs. The species' range runs from North Carolina, USA, to the north of South America.
Habitat: Sandy beaches up to the water's edge and sandy areas around coral reefs, from 1 to 25 m deep.
rules for the yellow 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 = 3.03; 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
—
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: Urobatis jamaicensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Urobatis jamaicensisNames by country and language.
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: