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Shark picture - green sawfish

CORTEZ ROUND STINGRAY

Photographs copyright Andy Murch

Enlarged image More Cortez round stingray pictures

View all available Cortez Round Stingray Pictures in the Shark Pictures Database

Common Names: Cortez round stingray

Latin Name: Urobatis maculatus

Family: Urobatidae

Identification: Similar to Round stingray but with conspicuous dark spots on disc.

Size: Maximum length 42cm

Habitat: Sandy bays, rocky reefs, and sea grass beds. Intertidal to 20m.

Abundance and distribution: From the Sea of Cortez to Magdalena Bay on the west coast of Baja. Often abundant in shallow bays in the southern Sea of Cortez .

Behavior: Forages during the day for worms and crustaceans.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous. Gravid females exude milk from the wall of the uterus.

Observations:

Photographs: Mulege, Baja , Mexico . Playa El Burro, Baja, Mexico.

Similar species: Round stingray Urolophus halleri.

Reaction to divers: Moves away upon close approach.

Diving logistics: This species is easily found whilst snorkelling over sand or near rocky reefs in the southern Sea of Cortez . I encountered 5 individuals within about ten minutes whilst snorkelling off the beach at Mulege. They are also commonly seen in this area whilst diving and I encountered them at Punta Conception at about 50ft. This site is dived by Cortez Explorers based in Mulege. South of Mulege at Playa El Burro I snorkelled off the sandy beach and encountered many (perhaps a hundred or more) in around 3 to 8ft of water. The encounters took place in October.

Update: At Playa Conception in February I found hundreds of Cortez Round Stingrays over the course of 3 days. The water temp was a chilly 65 degrees.

Other diving locations submitted by readers:

References and further reading:

Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. Scott W. Michael. Sea Challengers.

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