''Urobatis maculatus'', known as the spotted round ray or Cortez round stingray, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of round ray, within the genus ''

Urobatis ''Urobatis'' is a genus of the family Urotrygonidae. These rays live in Costa Rica, Mexico, the Bahamas, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grena ...

'', and of the family

Urotrygonidae Urotrygonidae is a family of rays in the order Myliobatiformes, commonly referred to as the American round stingrays or round rays. They are native to the tropical and warm temperate marine waters of the Americas. The two genera in this famil ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, with its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s being shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds,

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. C ...

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environmen ...

waters, intertidal

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...

es, and coastal saline

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons' ...

s. Spotted round rays reach a length of TL. The spotted round ray is ideal for captivity due to its hardiness and smaller size, and it is also a favorable candidate for breeding in aquaria. It can be kept in a minimum 180 gallon aquarium with fine substrate, little décor, a bottom with much surface area (for sufficient swimming space), excellent filtration, protected internal tank equipment like heaters and filter intakes (by surrounding them with polyurethane foam barriers), and a secure lid. In the aquarium trade, it may be confused with the Round stingray, ''

Urobatis halleri The round stingray (''Urobatis halleri'') or Haller's round ray and Little round stingray is a species of round ray, family Urotrygonidae, found in the coastal waters of the tropical and subtropical parts of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. It ...

'', which in the hobby may be called the ''Cortez ray'' as well.(2010): cortez/round stingray care , Saltwaterfish.com.

'. In: Saltwaterfish.com

/ref> The spotted round ray can be parasitized by the flatworm ''

Pleorchis magniporus ''Pleorchis magniporus'' is a species of flatworm which can parasitize Elasmobranchs, particularly the intestines of the spotted round ray ''Urobatis maculatus'', known as the spotted round ray or Cortez round stingray, is a species of Urot ...

''.

References

External links

* Urobatis Endemic fish of Mexico Fish of the Gulf of California Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Fish described in 1913 {{batoid-stub