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Animal Guide

Ocellate River Stingray

25 destinations · 19 states

Native Range
Amazon and Orinoco river basins of South America

Ocellate river stingrays are easy to overlook when they settle onto the bottom, where their flattened bodies blend with sand and riverbed. At an aquarium, watch the broad disc ripple as the ray glides forward, almost as if it is flying underwater. The eyes sit on top of the head, while the mouth and other sensory structures face downward toward the riverbed. Their striking pattern of dark spots and rings becomes especially noticeable when the ray moves across a pale substrate. Ocellate river stingrays spend much of their time near the bottom, searching for small fish, crustaceans, insects, and other prey. They use their flexible bodies and sensitive underside to investigate the sediment as they feed. The tail carries venomous spines that provide protection when the animal feels threatened. Native to freshwater systems in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, these rays are adapted to rivers rather than the ocean. A close view makes their unusual body shape, patterned back, and graceful swimming style much easier to appreciate.

Ocellate River Stingray

Where to see Ocellate River Stingray

25 destinations across 19 states

25 destinations

Adventure Aquarium

Camden, NJ

Aquarium of Niagara

Niagara Falls, NY

Audubon Aquarium

New Orleans, LA

Blank Park Zoo

Des Moines, IA

Buttonwood Park Zoo

New Bedford, MA

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Powell, OH

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

St Paul, MN

East Idaho Aquarium

Idaho Falls, ID

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, GA

Houston Zoo

Houston, TX

Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles, CA

Memphis Zoo

Memphis, TN

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

Nashville, TN

Oklahoma Aquarium

Jenks, OK

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Omaha, NE

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Gatlinburg, TN

SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium

Grapevine, TX

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

Las Vegas, NV

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Washington, DC

St. Louis Aquarium

St. Louis, MO

Steinhart Aquarium

San Francisco, CA

The Buffalo Zoo

Buffalo, NY

The Florida Aquarium

Tampa, FL

Wildlife World Zoo

Litchfield Park, AZ

Zoo Miami

Miami, FL

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