Largespot river stingray (Potamotrygon falkneri)

Image source: Jo's Animal Database

General data

Main name: Largespot river stingray
Local names: Reticulated freshwater stingray
Climates: Tropical, Subtropical
Habitat: Freshwater
Native: South America
Distribution: Amazon, Parana

Classification

Genus: Potamotrygon - Potamotrygon
Family: Potamotrygonidae - Southamerican freshwater stingrays
Order: Myliobatiformes - Stingrays
Class: Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays
Superclass: Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes

Description

This species is densely spotted above, but the exact color and pattern are very variable. One of these types was initially described as a separate species P. castexi and another as P. menchacai. Intermediates between the various patterns are common, and all represent variants of the species P. falkneri. It reaches a disc width of up to 52 cm (20 in) and a total length, including tail, up to 89 cm (35 in). This species has a disjunct distribution with the best-known population found throughout much of the Paraná—Paraguay River basin in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina.[Initially it did not occur in the upper Paraná basin above the Guaíra Falls, but these disappeared after the construction of the Itaipu Dam, allowing this species (and several others) to spread. The other main distribution of P. falkneri is in the upper Amazon Basin: Madre de Díos, Guaporé, Beni, Marañón and Solimões Rivers in Bolivia, eastern Peru and western Brazil.

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
- Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays->
  - Lamniformes - Mackerel sharks->
  - Carcharhiniformes - Ground sharks->
  - Rhinopristiformes - Shovelnose rays->
  - Torpediniformes - Electric rays->
  - Rajiformes - Skates and rays->
  - Orectolobiformes - Carpet shark->
  - Squatiniformes - Angelsharks->
  - Heterodontiformes - Bullhead and horn sharks->
  - Hexanchiformes - Six-gill sharks->
  - Myliobatiformes - Stingrays->
    
    Dasyatidae - Stingrays->
    
    Mobulidae - Manta rays->
    
    Potamotrygonidae - Southamerican freshwater stingrays->
    
    Potamotrygon - Potamotrygon->
    
    Ocellate river stingray (Potamotrygon motoro)
    
    Tiger river stingray (Potamotrygon tigrina)
    
    Giant short-tailed river stingray (Potamotrygon brachyura)
    
    Amanda’s River Stingray (Potamotrygon amandae)
    
    Xingu River ray (Potamotrygon leopoldi)
    
    Potamotrygon adamastor (Potamotrygon adamastor)
    
    Potamotrygon albimaculata (Potamotrygon albimaculata)
    
    Potamotrygon amazona (Potamotrygon amazona)
    
    Potamotrygon boesemani (Potamotrygon boesemani)
    
    Thorny river stingray (Potamotrygon constellata)
    
    Largespot river stingray (Potamotrygon falkneri)
    
    Potamotrygon garmani (Potamotrygon garmani)
    
    Bigtooth river stingray (Potamotrygon henlei)
    
    Porcupine river stingray (Potamotrygon histrix)
    
    Potamotrygon humerosa (Potamotrygon humerosa)
    
    Potamotrygon jabuti (Potamotrygon jabuti)
    
    Potamotrygon limai (Potamotrygon limai)
    
    Magdalena river stingray (Potamotrygon magdalenae)
    
    Potamotrygon marinae (Potamotrygon marinae)
    
    Red-blotched river stingray (Potamotrygon ocellata)
    
    Smooth back river stingray (Potamotrygon orbignyi)
    
    Potamotrygon pantanensis (Potamotrygon pantanensis)
    
    Great freshwater stingray (Potamotrygon rex)
    
    Rosette river stingray (Potamotrygon schroederi)
    
    Potamotrygon schuhmacheri (Potamotrygon schuhmacheri)
    
    Raspy river stingray (Potamotrygon scobina)
    
    Parnaiba river stingray (Potamotrygon signata)
    
    Potamotrygon tatianae (Potamotrygon tatianae)
    
    Potamotrygon wallacei (Potamotrygon wallacei)
    
    Maracaibo river stingray (Potamotrygon yepezi)
    
    Plesiotrygon - Antenna rays->
    
    Heliotrygon - Heliotrygon->
    
    Paratrygon - Paratrygon->
    
    Styracura - Styracura->
    
    Gymnuridae - Butterfly rays->
    
    Myliobatidae - Eagle ray->
    
    Urotrygonidae - American round stingrays->
    
    Aetobatidae - Pacific eagle rays->
    
    Hexatrygonidae - Sixgill stingrays->
    
    Plesiobatidae - Deepwater stingrays->
    
    Rhinopteridae - Cownose rays->
    
    Urolophidae - Round rays->
    
    Zanobatidae - Panrays->
  - Squaliformes - Sleeper and dogfish sharks->
  - Echinorhiniformes - Bramble sharks->
  - Pristiophoriformes - Saw sharks->
- Holocephali - Chimaeras->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->