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How to catch Southern stingray

Hypanus americanus (Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928)

About Southern stingray fishing

The southern stingray belongs to the whiptail stingray family Dasyatidae and features a very flattened, diamond-shaped body with angular outer corners. The dorsal surface ranges from olive brown to dark grey depending on maturity, while the underside remains entirely white. Females develop a much larger disc width up to two hundred centimetres, whereas males stay smaller. This bottom-dwelling species inhabits shallow coastal waters, estuaries, sandy flats, and seagrass beds down to fifty metres depth. It feeds primarily on bivalves, worms, and crustaceans by disturbing the substrate, and possesses a venomous serrated spine on its slender tail for defense.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    90 cm WD

  • Market value

    Low

  • Habitat

    Brackish, Saltwater

  • Season

    Spring, Summer, Autumn

  • Also known as

    Kit, Southern Stingray, Stingaree, Stingray, Whip stingray

Southern stingray

Placoid scales

Placoid scales cover the skin, giving it a rough, denticle texture.

Ventral finfold

Long and high ventral finfold on tail identifies this stingray species.

Sharp disk corners

Disk has sharp outer corners characteristic of this ray.

Southern stingray fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    90 cm WD (max 200 cm WD )

  • Typical weight

    15 kg (max 135.6 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    23.7–28.1 °C

  • Depth

    0–53 m

  • Longevity

    28 years

  • Body shape

    Other

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    76.8

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Active

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Low

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Low

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Active

  • Night

    After dark

    Peak

When to fish for Southern stingray

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch Southern stingray

Tips for catching Southern stingray

Anglers targeting the southern stingray should focus on shallow sandy areas, tidal flats, and seagrass margins where these rays forage for buried invertebrates. Bottom fishing and surfcasting with heavy ledger rigs work best when baited with fresh crab, shrimp, or squid strips presented directly on the sea floor. Because these rays are largely nocturnal or crepuscular feeders that rest buried in the sediment during daylight hours, fishing through the night or during dawn transitions yields higher catch rates. Exercise extreme caution when landing or handling the catch to avoid the venomous tail spine.

Other names for Southern stingray

Local and alternate names anglers use for Southern stingray.

  • Stingray
  • Whip stingray
  • Stingaree
  • Southern stingray
  • Kit

Best equipment to catch Southern stingray

Compare fishing methods for Southern stingray — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 15 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Southern stingray

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Southern stingray migrates — Inshore–offshore

Shifts between shallow inshore water and deeper offshore grounds with the season.

How Southern stingray migrates — Inshore–offshore 1. Warm months: Stay close inshore through the warm months. 2. Cold months: Move offshore into deeper water as it cools.
Inshore Offshore

1 Warm months

Inshore

Stay close inshore through the warm months.

2 Cold months

Offshore

Move offshore into deeper water as it cools.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Southern stingray

  • Diet

    Carnivore

  • Feeds by

    Mixed feeder

  • Hunts

    Night

  • Feeds over

    Soft bottom · Seagrass · Mangroves

  • Social

    Schooling · Solitary

  • Main prey

    Baitfish

Prey and predators of Southern stingray

Prey is what Southern stingray eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Predators

What hunts it

Fish

  • Epinephelus itajara juv./adults

Where Southern stingray lives

Tied to reefs and rocky structure in shallow coastal water.

Habitats
Brackish, Saltwater
Depth zone
Sublittoral
Continental shelf · 0–53 m
Water column
Benthic
Structure and substrate

Where this species lives