The short-tailed river stingray (''Potamotrygon brachyura'') is a species of river stingray (family Potamotrygonidae) native to the Río de la Plata Basin in South America.Oddone, M.C., G. Velasco & G. Rincon (2008). Occurrence of freshwater stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) in the Uruguay River and its tributaries, Uruguay, South America. International Journal of Ichthyology 14 (2): 69-76. It is sometimes known as the giant freshwater stingray, but this name is typically used for the southeast Asian '' Himantura polylepis''. Growing to a disc diameter of about and a weight of , the short-tailed river stingray is the largest freshwater species in its familyFishing World Records
Potamotrygon brachyura.
Retrieved 14 January 2016. and one of the heaviest strict freshwater fish in South America, only matched by the arapaima (''Arapaima'') and

piraíba ''Brachyplatystoma filamentosum'', the piraíba or kumakuma, is a species of large catfish of the family Pimelodidae and genus Brachyplatystoma that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and fluvials in Guianas and northeastern Brazil. D ...

catfish (''Brachyplatystoma filamentosum''). The largest specimen on record is 2.0m (6ft 6") in diameter and estimated to weigh 300 kg (660lbs). This short-tailed river stingray was caught on rod and line in October 2022 by British angler - Greg Iszatt from the Parana River, Argentina, and took over 9 hours and 20 minutes to land. Greg Iszatt was assisted by Thomas Armitage and James Frankland. This fish is the unofficial All-Tackle World Record for the species.The primary threat to the short-tailed river stingray is fishing for food and as a game fish, but it is also under pressure from habitat loss and occasionally caught for aquaria.

Description

The short-tailed river stingray is circular in shape and humped in the back.River Monsters, First Edition, Da Capo Press, 2011, p. 165 The species can reach about in disc diameter and in weight, making it the largest freshwater species in the family Potamotrygonidae (the

discus ray ''Paratrygon'' is a genus of cartilaginous fish in the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship) ...

''Paratrygon aiereba'' can reach a slightly larger disc width, but weighs considerably less). They have a dark pattern on their backs, probably used as camouflage. The ray's tail is very muscular and thick, covered with short spines at the base and a venomous sting at the end.River Monsters, First Edition, Da Capo Press, 2011, p. 162

Distribution

The short-tailed river stingray is found in the Río de la Plata Basin, including the Paraguay, Paraná and Uruguay Rivers in the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It may also range into

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

in the

Pilcomayo River Pilcomayo (in Hispanicized spelling) (Quechua Pillkumayu or Pillku Mayu, ''pillku'' red, ''mayu'' river, "red river", Guarani Ysyry Araguay ) is a river in central South America. At long, it is the longest western tributary of the Paraguay River ...

(a tributary of the Paraguay River), but this remains unconfirmed. In the north it ranges from the upper Paraguay River basin, including the Pantanal, and south to the lowermost freshwater sections of the Río de la Plata. Unlike some other freshwater rays, it has not been able to spread to the upper Paraná River basin after the Itaipu Dam flooded the

Guaíra Falls Guairá Falls ( es, Saltos del Guairá, pt, Salto das Sete Quedas do Guaíra) were a series of immense waterfalls on the Paraná River along the border between Paraguay and Brazil. The falls ceased to exist in 1982 when they were inundated by the ...

, which represented a natural barrier to its range.

Lifestyle

Female short-tailed river stingrays give birth to up to 19 fully formed young stingrays per litter. The pups start off eating plankton and then move on to consume small mollusks, crustaceans, the larvae of aquatic insects, and fish.

References

External links

Species description of'' Potamotrygon brachyura'' at www.shark-references.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1642212 brachyura Freshwater fish of Argentina Freshwater fish of Brazil Fish of Paraguay Fish of Uruguay Fauna of the Pantanal Fish described in 1880 Taxa named by Albert Günther