Black devil stingray
Potamotrygon leopoldi
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–84°F
- 20–29°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 23.6 in
- 60 cm
- Minimum tank
- 436 gal
- 1,650 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Own kind
- One male per tank
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Very rare
- Family
- Potamotrygonidae
- Origin
- Brazil
Overview
This is a solitary, aggressive, advanced-only animal, and the venomous tail spine makes careless handling genuinely dangerous. It stays on the bottom, hunting fish, crustaceans, and snails. It needs a very large tank with sand, strong flow, and spotless water, since rays are sensitive to nitrate and poor quality. Keep water at 20 to 29 C and pH 6 to 7.5, and feed meaty foods like shrimp, fish, and earthworms.
In the wild
Black devil stingrays come from the Xingu River basin in Brazil, in clear, fast water over sand and rock with submerged wood. They are bottom dwellers that bury into open sand, so they need a large footprint of fine sand and no sharp decor. The space demand is huge: this fish needs something in the range of 1,650 liters, which is a custom build or a pond, not a standard aquarium.
Good to know
This is a freshwater stingray in the family Potamotrygonidae, all of which are South American river rays. It reaches about 60 cm across the disc and is heavy-bodied, marked black with white spots. It gives live birth to a small number of well-developed pups. The species is listed as Vulnerable, with collection and habitat loss the main pressures.
Did you know
Freshwater rays can find buried prey without seeing it. Tiny pores around the mouth, called the ampullae of Lorenzini, pick up the faint electrical signals living animals give off, so the ray can pin down a fish hidden under the sand.
Common questions
What size tank does a Black devil stingray need?
A Black devil stingray needs at least 436 gal (1,650 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Black devil stingray need?
A Black devil stingray is comfortable at 68–84°F (20–29°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big does a Black devil stingray get?
An adult Black devil stingray reaches about 23.6 in (60 cm).
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