Distribution and Habitat
This species has a patchy and discontinuous distribution in Atlantic tropical and warm-temperate waters. In the western Atlantic it is found from Massachusetts, USA to Buenos Aires Province, Argentina; it is rare in the Gulf of Mexico and common in the mouths of tidal creeks along the Virginia coast. In the eastern Atlantic, it is found from Portugal to Ambriz, Angola, including the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the Madeira and Canary Islands. It is found in shallow brackish and coastal waters over soft sandy or muddy substrates, at a depth of 5–100 m (16–330 ft). This ray is uncommon overall but can be locally abundant in suitable habitat. Individuals may segregate by sex, with females usually staying in deeper water but moving inshore to breed.
Read more about this topic: Spiny Butterfly Ray
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