Smooth butterfly ray

How it lives

The smooth butterfly ray lives on soft sand and mud bottoms of the continental shelf, to about 55 m. It is found in coastal water that ranges from brackish estuaries to salty lagoons. Females give birth to live young. The embryos feed on yolk first, then on fluid from the mother. Gestation is reported as 2 to 4 months. Females are reported to mature at about 35 cm (14 in) disc width, with a range of 34 to 50 cm. It can change its shade to match the seabed.

Where it goes

I found no tracking studies for the smooth butterfly ray. It swims close to the seabed, using small waves along the edge of its disc, and in open water with a flapping motion.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Worldwide: Near Threatened (IUCN; FishBase dates the assessment to September 2020), with the population trend listed as unknown. It is found along the western Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Atlantic along parts of West and Central Africa. It is caught by fisheries in several regions, in minor commercial catches, and is often sold salted. Many caught as bycatch are released alive. I did not read any regional assessments.