Spiny Butterfly Ray

The spiny butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) can reach a disc width of over 2 meters (approximately 6.5 feet), making it one of the larger ray species in its range. Females grow significantly larger than males. Its extremely broad, diamond-shaped body disc gives it one of the largest wingspans of any ray in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Spiny butterfly rays are found in coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from southern Europe to southern Africa, as well as throughout the Mediterranean Sea. They prefer shallow coastal habitats including sandy bottoms, bays, and estuaries. A closely related species, Gymnura micrura, occupies a similar ecological niche in the western Atlantic.

The spiny butterfly ray is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to significant population declines driven by overfishing and habitat degradation. They are frequently caught as bycatch in commercial bottom trawl and gillnet fisheries throughout their range. Their slow reproductive rate makes population recovery particularly difficult once depleted.

The spiny butterfly ray is characterized by its extremely broad, diamond-shaped body disc that can reach widths of over 2 meters, proportionally far wider than most stingrays. It also possesses a venomous spine at the base of its short tail, which is the source of its "spiny" common name. Its large mouth and broad disc allow it to capture moderately sized fish and squid in addition to bottom-dwelling invertebrates.