Pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 1–381 m. The main season in the United States runs all year.
Scientific name: Pteroplatytrygon violacea · Water: Saltwater · Season: All year
Size: up to 96 cm
The pelagic stingray is an oceanic dasyatid found in open tropical and warm temperate waters, usually in the first 100 m, and it is possibly the only totally pelagic member of its family; it is recorded from 1 to 381 m. It feeds on coelenterates including medusae, on squid, on decapod crustaceans and on fish, and it is ovoviviparous. It is a common catch of pelagic tuna and shark longline and gillnet fisheries, and also of purse seines and bottom trawls, and it is utilized for its meat and sometimes its cartilage. Its range is probably cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical seas. Maximum length is about 96 cm, a figure for which FishBase does not state the basis, and it commonly reaches about 80 cm disc width; it matures at about 45 cm. It is a commercial species and a gamefish, with a low price category. Fishing vulnerability is high at 63 of 100 and resilience very low. IUCN lists it as least concern. It is in season throughout the year.
Caution: has venomous spines. Take great care when unhooking and handling; the sting is extremely painful.
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