Giant Freshwater Stingray Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Enormous, nearly oval to rectangular disc that can exceed 2 m across, among the largest of all stingrays
• Plain grey, olive-brown, or tan upperside, generally unpatterned
• Pale cream to white underside
• Very long, thin, whip-like tail lacking a dorsal fin, often several times the length of the disc
• One or more large venomous spines set well back from the base of the tail

Common look-alikes

• Other large river stingrays can look similar but typically have smaller maximum disc size and proportionally shorter tails
• Marbled freshwater stingray shows a mottled, marbled pattern rather than the giant freshwater stingray's plain, uniform coloration

Where you'll see one

Found in large river systems and estuaries of Southeast Asia, including the Mekong, Chao Phraya, and Maeklong basins, as well as parts of Borneo and New Guinea. It favors deep river channels and sandy or muddy bottoms, and its enormous size and freshwater habitat make it one of the most distinctive stingrays to encounter, though it is now rare and localized across much of its former range.