Southern Eagle Ray

The southern eagle ray's average length is 80 cm (31.5 in), but some specimens have reached up to 125 cm (49 in). The species is somewhat wider than it is long, with its disc being an average of 99 cm (39 in) wide. It does not have spines on its disc. The southern eagle ray usually has a dark brown colored upper side, while most of its underside is a light shade of brown or white, with the outer edges often being darker.

Comparison with the bullnose ray. The southern eagle ray's appearance is similar to that of the bullnose ray, causing the two to often be confused. The following table shows the similarities and differences between the two related species:

The southern eagle ray lives on various parts of the Atlantic coast. Sightings have been reported from the coast of Southern Mexico all the way down to Argentina, as well as on the coast of Florida. The specific countries that the Southern eagle ray is native to are Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. A sighting was also reported in the island of Maldives in August 2012, and then three more were reported in Australia. The southern eagle ray lives in shallow waters, mostly under 100 meters, but it can live in depths of up to 200 meters. This is a significant contrast from the bullnose ray, which most commonly lives in depths of no more than 10 meters. It is benthopelagic, feeding in and inhabiting the areas just above the ocean floor, typically in brackish water. It prefers waters with a soft seabed, composed of elements such as mud, sand, or sea grass.

The southern eagle ray is a carnivore, mostly feeding on small invertebrates, such as shrimp, crabs, and gastropods. The southern eagle ray migrates seasonally. Adults inhabit the open sea during the autumn and winter, and return to their home location, which is usually an estuary or a bay, in the spring and summer, to give birth. The young that are born in summer usually wait until the end of the next summer before they migrate into the open waters, while those who are born in spring do this after the first summer passes. They then return to their home location again in the spring and summer to give birth themselves. Little else is known about the ecology and reproduction of the southern eagle ray.