Peacock River Stingray

Fascinating facts about the Peacock River Stingray

• The ocellate river stingray was the first species ever described in the Potamotrygonidae family. Because it is the most widespread member, it inhabits tropical and subtropical South America across a huge area, with a range that includes most of the Río de la Plata basin, the Amazon basin, the Mearim River and the Orinoco basin.
• In its natural habitat the ocellate river stingray can grow to a disc width of 50 cm and reach a total length of about 1 m. Individuals may weigh as much as 34.2 kg, though the recognised IGFA world record for the species is only 12.59 kg.
• Some members of the CD3 form show a distinctive chain-like arrangement of spots along the edge of their disc. These linked spots are found on individuals from the Rio Negro and the Orinoco basins, which are connected by the Casiquiare canal.
• Two Amazonian forms of the ocellate river stingray completely lack the usual black-edged yellow-orange spots and were only recognised as a distinct species in 2019. These forms, known as CD4 in Peru and nearby Brazil and the paler CD5 from rivers near Marajó, co-occur with normal P. motoro variants in the same waters. The formal description gave them the name Potamotrygon marquesi, separating them from the broader P. motoro complex.
• The ocellate river stingray is one of the most popular freshwater stingrays kept in captivity, but it needs a very large tank to accommodate its size and activity. Its husbandry requirements are similar to those of other Potamotrygon species, and in captivity the species breeds readily, producing live young rather than laying eggs.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

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