DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Red Stingray
Hemitrygon akajei
- Usual depth15–38 m
- Water temperature13–28 °C
- Best monthsMay, August, and October
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Coughdrop12, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
The red stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean off Japan, Korea, and China, and possibly elsewhere. It primarily inhabits shallow, sandy habitats close to shore, and has been known to enter brackish water. The red stingray has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc and gains its common name from its bright orange-red underside; there may also be patches of orange at various spots on its upper surface. Most individuals are no more than 1 m (3.3 ft) long.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Red stingray”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 4 records
- February: 6 records
- March: 5 records
- April: 7 records
- May: 14 records
- June: 4 records
- July: 5 records
- August: 13 records
- September: 5 records
- October: 10 records
- November: 4 records
- December: 3 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 15–38 m · Deepest record: 37.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 13–28 °C
Photos
(c) Ishikawa Ken, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Luke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) りなべる, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Luke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Red Stingray, Whip stingray
Names in 5 more languages
- German
- Japanischer Stechrochen
- Spanish
- Raya roja
- Japanese
- Aka-ei, Akaei, アカエイ
- Thai
- ปลากระเบนสีเลือด, ปลากระเบนหางหวาย
- Simplified Chinese
- 牛尾魴, 紅魴, 赤土魟, 赤魟
Other scientific names: Dasyatis akajei, Dasyatis akajel, Trygon akajei
Similar species
Brown StingrayHemitrygon fluviorum
Bennett's stingrayHemitrygon bennettii
- Merauke Stingray
Hemitrygon longicauda
- Dwarf Black Stingray
Hemitrygon parvonigra
Bathytoshia matsubaraiBathytoshia brevicaudata
Reef stingrayTaeniura lymma
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 344 open-data records from 1841 to 2021.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
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