Stingray ID

[FishyMel]

A couple weeks back I ordered a cortez stingray online, but I'm doubting its stingray Identity. I spoke with the owner who swears it is a cortez and knows 100% it is from the sea of cortez. Every cortez ray I see looks different, so I'm wondering if there is a group of stingrays referred to as cortez rays.

Currently right now he is in my 74 degree tank, ao I doubt he's a cali ray and seems extremely happy, even eating the first day I had him. His disk is 4 inches across and his body and tail are very small and closely resemble a cortez. His body is speckled unlike a yellow and also his orgins aren't even close to where'd you find a yellow. He also is extremely active swimming all day only to sit down when the light goes off and it's time for bed. So what could he be! I just want him to stay small and be healthy.

 

[philter4]

Looks like a juv. yellow stingray, Urolophus jamaicensis, from FL and the caribbean. It could also be U. halleri, but the pattern is opposite, in halleri the body is yellow and the spots are dark, but it could be an abberant pattern. Look at the eyes, in the cortez ray, there is a very distinctive white "V" that surrounds the pupil in the cortez ray, the eye in the photo makes me think it is the atlantic yellow. There are several closely related rays from the sea of cortez and pacific so it may be one that I'm not familiar with.

 

[FishyMel]

I know for sure it isn't a yellow considering the guy, who is a distributor, got it direct from the sea of cortez, that is why it confuses me.

 

[philter4]

Unless the distributor got it from the collector, it may have just been sold to him as a cortez ray. The eye is a dead give away that it isn't U. halleri. It could be a california stingray, even though it is doing well, they have a wide range and they come from temperate water as far south as southern mex (and I think they may even be in the sea of cortez) which means it could do well in a trop tank. I don't know, just a tenative thought based on the photo. And as I said, there are also many closely related rays from mexico and south, it could be any one of the ones I'm not familliar with. Either way, it is a nice, healthy looking fish.

 

[Lrgclasper]

Looks like a yellow to me

 

[FishyMel]

I've seen yellows in person, even if he was lying of the orgin, yellows usually have scribbled patterns not dots. I personally am thinking it is probably a cali, considering they are found in the sea of cortez.

 

[FishyMel]

Anyone ever know how friendly stingrays are? I never knew how friendly stingrays are until I got one! He eats out of my hand and is constantly flapping at the surface.

 

[philter4]

Here is a yellow that had a really dark background, but otherwise it has the normal pattern

Usually the background is lighter, but the pattern is the same, hope this helps, but I think it just it may just add to the confusion.

 

[billsreef]

Coloration isn't a dead on identification feature. There is a good chance it is halleri based on your photo's. The two rays do overlap in range, with both found in the Sea of Cortez. Since both also are very similar in appearance, the best bet is to look up the morphology on fishbase.org

 

[philter4]

Good point about the color pattern. I only have limited experience with ray ID's it could be any number of ones that I don't know well.

As far as the personality, they are very friendly and learn who has food and figure out how to beg fairly quickly.

 

[scuba kid]

Oh yes, they are very friendly! Its usually just an act to get food though....

At the aquarium I work at, we handfeed the cownose stingrays we have. They are the funniest fish ever, swimming upsidedown on the surface begging for food and coming right over to suck it out of your hand. They are definitely one of my favorite fish to work with.

 

[FishyMel]

Yes that is exactly what this guy does. It is the funniest when he does flips for food.