Freshwater Stingray: Species, Venom, Laws and Prices

A freshwater stingray is a ray that lives its whole life in rivers. Most belong to one family, Potamotrygonidae, the only family of rays mostly restricted to fresh water, with more than 35 species in five genera spread across South American rivers (Wikipedia). The Amazon basin has the most; the Rio Negro, Tapajós and Tocantins basins each hold 8 to 10 species.

They feed on insects, worms, molluscs, crustaceans and fish, and some specialise: Potamotrygon leopoldi mainly eats freshwater snails and crabs (Wikipedia). Asia also has river rays from a different family, including the giant freshwater stingray covered below.

Yes. Every species carries a venomous stinger on the tail, which it sheds and replaces from time to time (Wikipedia). Stings are common where people wade: Colombia alone reports more than 2,000 injuries a year. The venom varies with sex and age, even between individuals of one species, and there is no specific antidote (Wikipedia).

If someone is stung, MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine) advises getting out of the water, controlling any bleeding with direct pressure, soaking the wound in hot water of 104 to 113 F (40 to 45 C) for 30 to 90 minutes, then washing and covering it. Seek medical care: MedlinePlus says some stingray stings are serious and need professional treatment. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222, free and open 24 hours; call 911 if the person faints, has trouble breathing or has an irregular heartbeat.

Because regulators treat them as a risk to native wildlife and to people. What the official lists say:

• Texas: all species of Potamotrygonidae are on the prohibited exotic aquatic species list (Texas Parks and Wildlife).
• California: all species are listed as "detrimental" under Title 14, section 671, meaning they are considered a threat to native wildlife, agriculture or public health and safety, and cannot be imported, transported or kept without a permit.
• Florida: the whole family is on the Conditional Nonnative Species list (Florida FWC), so personal possession is not allowed; permits are issued only for research, commercial or exhibition use.

Retailer summaries name further states, but their lists disagree with each other, so confirm with your own state wildlife agency before buying. Conservation adds another layer: Brazil once banned wild exports and now allows quotas; between about 4,600 and 5,700 rays were legally exported each year from 2010 to 2015 (Wikipedia).

Not native river stingrays of the South American family, but there is one freshwater population of a different ray. The Florida Museum of Natural History states that Atlantic stingrays in the St. Johns River system of Florida are the only permanent freshwater population of any shark or ray in North America. They are small: males reach a maximum disc width of 12.8 in (32.6 cm) and females 14.6 in (37 cm). Like other stingrays they have venomous tail spines but are not aggressive; most stings happen when a person steps on or surprises one (Florida Museum).

Nobody has a head count. The giant freshwater stingray of Southeast Asia (Urogymnus polylepis, formerly Himantura polylepis) is listed as Endangered by the IUCN and Critically Endangered in Thailand. Wikipedia reports that in central Thailand and Cambodia its numbers fell by an estimated 30 to 50% over 20 to 30 years, and by as much as 95% at some sites, because of overfishing, dams and habitat loss.

It is also the heaviest freshwater fish on record. On 13 June 2022 fishers in Stung Treng province, Cambodia, caught a female of 300 kg (661 lb), about 4 m (13 ft) from snout to tail; researchers from the Wonders of the Mekong project tagged it and released it (Mongabay). Its tail spine can be 38 cm (15 in) long, the longest of any stingray (Wikipedia).

Several species are bred in captivity, especially on East and Southeast Asian fish farms, while some, such as Paratrygon aiereba and Potamotrygon tigrina, are much harder to keep (Wikipedia). Where they are legal, they are sold under trade names. Prices listed by the US dealer Predatory Fins on 25 September 2026:

• Motoro: $325 to $450
• Pearl: $395 to $950
• Black diamond: $595 to $1,250
• Tiger: $900 to $1,800
• Super spot black diamond: $1,500 to $7,600

These are asking prices from one seller, not sale records; size and pattern move the price within each range. A large adult ray needs a very large, warm tank, and the sting risk stays for its whole life.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every number names the organisation it comes from, and where sources disagree we say so instead of picking one silently. Prices carry the date we checked them (25 September 2026); they change, so confirm before you rely on them. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.