Common Stingray
Dasyatis pastinaca
Sighting evidence at El Cañon, Gran Canaria
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Common stingrays are a reliable feature of El Cañon's sandy floor habitats, where they bury themselves in sediment with only their eyes and spiracles exposed while waiting for buried bivalves and crustaceans. They are one of the more frequently encountered batoid species in Canarian waters and play an important role in turning over sandy substrates, releasing buried invertebrates that attract smaller foragers. Female stingrays carry embryos for 4 months and give birth to live young, and Gran Canaria's canyon system appears to function as nursery habitat for juvenile individuals.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Common Stingray is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.