Depth
0m
Elasmobranch · Dasyatidae · Least Concern

Common Stingray

Dasyatis pastinaca

1–100m
Depth Range
140 cm
Max Size
Med / Atlantic
Distribution
1–100m
Depth Range
140 cm
Max Size
Sandy / Muddy
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Myliobatiformes
Family Dasyatidae
Genus Dasyatis
Species pastinaca

Species Profile

Identification & Biology

  • Identification Diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc slightly wider than long, and a whip-like tail with barbed spines. Most widespread ray in the Mediterranean.
  • Size Up to 140 cm disc width. Average adults measure 45 cm across.
  • Social Habit Encountered singly or in loose groups. Populations appear to segregate by sex.
  • Habitat Typically sandy or muddy coastal waters. Often buries itself in sediment during daytime, leaving only the eyes and spiracles exposed.
  • Depth 1 to 100 m. Most commonly encountered at 5–30 m on sandy reef margins.
  • Feeds On Bony fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Detects prey via electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini).
  • Distribution Northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Madeira and Canary Islands.
  • Description Dasyatis pastinaca is a diamond-shaped ray reaching up to 1.4 metres across, with a smooth olive-brown upper surface and a long, slender tail armed with one or two venomous barbed spines. It is found resting on sandy and muddy bottoms from the shallows down to about 60 metres around Malta, often partially buried to ambush prey.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

The common stingray ranges across the northeastern Atlantic and the entire Mediterranean basin, from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Levantine coast. It is the most frequently encountered ray species by divers in Maltese waters.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Substrate

Sandy and muddy seabeds, particularly near reef margins and seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow edges. During the day, stingrays bury themselves in the substrate with only the eyes and spiracles visible.

When to Look

Most active at dusk and through the night. Daytime encounters are common on sandy channels adjacent to rocky reefs. Approach slowly from the front; never shadow from directly above.

Common Stingray species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

An ambush predator. Buries itself in sand and waits for prey. Detects concealed fish and invertebrates using electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) that sense minute bioelectric fields.

Ambush predator

Reproduction

Viviparous — gives birth to live young (aplacental viviparity). Litters of 4 to 9 pups. Gestation approximately 4 months. Newborn pups are fully formed and independent from birth.

Viviparous

Defence & Venom

The serrated, venomous tail spine is purely defensive. A stingray will not pursue a diver. Injuries occur almost exclusively when a ray is accidentally stepped on. Give wide berth; never shadow from above.

Defensive only

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Common Stingray favour sandy and muddy seabeds across the Maltese Islands, resting or foraging on the open bottom. The sites below offer consistent sandy habitat where encounters are reliable on guided dives with diveshack.

3–38m
South Malta

Ghar Lapsi

Common Stingray settle on the sunlit cave and outer reef system at 3–38m, often partially buried when resting between foraging bouts. Sandy areas around Ghar Lapsi are the most productive search zones.

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3–14m
Comino

Blue Lagoon

Common Stingray settle on the sandy floor and posidonia meadows at 3–14m, often partially buried when resting between foraging bouts. Sandy areas around Blue Lagoon are the most productive search zones.

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7–20m
Comino

P31 Patrol Boat

Common Stingray settle on the white sand channel and patrol vessel hull at 7–20m, often partially buried when resting between foraging bouts. Sandy areas around P31 Patrol Boat are the most productive search zones.

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5–22m
South Malta

Ghar Lapsi

A sheltered cove with sandy patches between rocky outcrops. Stingrays are frequently spotted half-buried in the sand at 8–15 m, especially in the morning.

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8–30m
North Malta

Cirkewwa

Sandy channels flanking the reef system are prime stingray habitat. Multiple rays are sometimes encountered on a single dive, resting between the arch and cave sections.

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IUCN Red List Least Concern

Conservation Status

Population considered stable across the Mediterranean. Main threats are bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries and coastal habitat degradation. Protected under the Barcelona Convention Annex II.

Source: iNaturalist Guide #888
by Lesley Clements (CC BY-SA)
Part of the diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide