Cortez stingray
Urobatis maculatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderMyliobatiformes (Stingrays)
- FamilyUrotrygonidae (American Round Rays)
- GenusUrobatis
- SpeciesUrobatis maculatus (Cortez stingray)
Urobatis maculatus, known as the spotted round ray or Cortez round stingray, is a species of round ray, within the genus Urobatis, and of the family Urotrygonidae. It is endemic to Mexico, with its natural habitats being shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, coral reefs, estuarine waters, intertidal marshes, and coastal saline lagoons. Spotted round rays reach a length of 42 centimetres (17 in) TL. The spotted round ray is ideal for captivity due to its hardiness and smaller size, and it is also a favorable candidate for breeding in aquaria. It can be kept in a minimum 180 gallon aquarium with fine substrate, little décor, a bottom with much surface area (for sufficient swimming space), excellent filtration, protected internal tank equipment like heaters and filter intakes (by surrounding them with polyurethane foam barriers), and a secure lid. In the aquarium trade, it may be confused with the Round stingray, Urobatis halleri, which in the hobby may be called the Cortez ray as well. The spotted round ray can be parasitized by the flatworm Pleorchis magniporus. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Cortez stingray sighting in Bahía de Loreto National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
🌙 When They're Spotted
Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cortez stingray in Bahía de Loreto National Park?
About 31% of wildlife watchers report a Cortez stingray sighting in Bahía de Loreto National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cortez stingray in Bahía de Loreto National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Cortez stingray in Bahía de Loreto National Park in our monthly data.