Whiptail Stingray

A large, reticulated (net-patterned) stingray that buries itself in shallow sandy areas. The extremely long tail carries a venomous barb capable of causing serious injury. Common in UAE coastal shallows — shuffling your feet in the water is essential to avoid treading on a buried ray.

Species Stats

Diet

Crustaceans, worms, small fish

Habitat

Sandy and muddy coastal seabeds, shallow estuaries

Local Name (Arabic)

لخمة

Fun Facts

• 1

  The disc (body) can reach over 1.8 m wide and the tail can be 2–3 times the body length.

• 2

  Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to overfishing pressure across its range.

• 3

  The "shuffle step" when wading in UAE shallow waters specifically avoids this species.

Found In