- Broadly angular disc with pointed pectoral tips, twice as wide as it is long with strongly concave back edge
- Dark brown to black with series of lighter spots/circles on the back (top of disc); white to gray underside
- Snout pointed with large fleshy “duck-bill” shaped projection above the mouth (subrostral lobe)
- A single dorsal fin is near the base of a whip-like tail followed by one or more venomous spines
Habitat & Range
A pelagic species commonly found in shallow inshore waters such as bays, estuaries, and coral reefs but may cross oceanic basins or be found at depths of around 200 feet. Often seen swimming near the water surface, occasionally leaping completely out of the water.
Life History
Internal fertilization. The female carries eggs inside her body until they hatch, after which, she gives live birth to the hatched pups (aplacental viviparity or ovoviviparity); up to four pups per litter.
Males can be identified by the presence of paired claspers along the inner margins of the pelvic fins.
