Spotted Stingaree

The pectoral fin disc of the spotted stingaree is oval in shape and slightly longer than wide; it is more circular in juveniles. The snout is fleshy and usually smoothly rounded, without a protruding tip. The eyes are tiny and followed by much larger comma-shaped spiracles, which have rounded posterior rims. There is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin with a finely fringed posterior margin between the nostrils. The floor of the small mouth bears 9–12 papillae (nipple-like structures); a further narrow patch of papillae is found on the lower jaw. The teeth are small, with roughly oval bases. The five pairs of gill slits are short, and the pelvic fins are small and rounded. The tail measures 76–80% as long as the disc and is fairly thick, with an oval cross-section and no lateral skin folds. A serrated stinging spine is placed atop the tail and preceded by a prominent dorsal fin; the caudal fin is lance-like, short, and deep. The skin is completely smooth. The disc is dark brown to black above, becoming lighter towards the margins, and sometimes with irregularly scattered dark dots. There are 2–3 rows of small whitish spots that border the disc margin and may extend onto the tail, as well as much larger pale spots arranged in groups over the middle of the back. The areas before and behind the eyes, and a pair of patches at the back of the disc, are usually free of spots. …

Widely but patchily distributed along the southern coast of Australia, the spotted stingaree occurs from Albany, Western Australia to Lakes Entrance, Victoria, including Bass Strait and the northern Tasmanian coast. It does not appear to be common, not does it aggregate any particular location. Bottom-dwelling in nature, this species inhabits the continental shelf from the intertidal zone to a depth of 50 m (160 ft). It is most commonly found in and around seagrass beds and rocky reefs, and has also been recorded from estuaries.

During the day, the spotted stingaree is often encountered buried in sand or hidden amongst seagrass or rocks. It feeds mainly on crustaceans. As in other stingrays, it is presumably aplacental viviparous with the developing embryos being nourished via maternal histotroph ("uterine milk"). Females can produce litters of up to 13 pups. Males and females reach sexual maturity at approximately 42 cm (17 in) and 46 cm (18 in) long respectively.