Description
The giant freshwater stingray has a relatively thin, more or less oval-shaped pectoral fin disk and minute eyes. The snout is very broad with a projecting triangular tip. The mouth is small, with 4–7 papillae (2–4 large central and 1–4 small lateral) on the floor. The whip-like tail measures 1.8–2.5 times the length of the disk and lacks fin folds. The serrated spine on the tail is the largest of any stingray, reaching 38 cm (15 in) long. It is covered with a sheath of toxic mucus and is capable of piercing bone.
The upper surface of the body and tail are covered with small, rough tubercles, becoming sharp on the tail beyond the spine. The back is uniform brown to gray in color, sometimes becoming lighter towards the margins. The underside is white, with a distinctive broad, black band edged with small spots around the margins of the pectoral and pelvic fins. The tail is black past the spine. This species reaches at least 4.88 meters (16 ft) long and 2.13 meters (7 ft) across.
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