Porcupine Ray

Urogymnus asperrimus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Urogymnus
Species: Urogymnus asperrimus

The porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus) is a thick-bodied stingray reaching over 1 m across, with an oval, greyish-brown to beige disc covered in sharp, thorn-like denticles. Unlike most stingrays it has no venomous spine on its tail.

It lives on sandy and rubble bottoms near reefs and in lagoons, where it feeds on worms, crustaceans and other buried invertebrates. Its rough skin offers protection in place of a stinging spine. The species is listed as Endangered.

In the Philippines the porcupine ray is uncommon, occasionally seen by divers resting on sand patches near coral reefs. Its pale, bumpy appearance makes it easy to distinguish from other stingrays.

Photo: Daniel Benák, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist