Like other stingrays, the fishes of this genus havevenomous barbs at the base of their tails, and theirstings are dangerous to humans.[2] It is said that the natives of South America fear the stingray more than they do fear thepiranha.[3]
Potamotrygon vary considerably in color, pattern and size, with the maximum disc width ranging from 31 cm (1 ft) inP. wallacei to 1.5 m (5 ft) inP. brachyura.[4][5]
Though freshwater stingray of other genera do appear in the trade, most are fromPotamotrygon. They are best kept with a deep, sandysubstrate, in which they bury themselves, often with only the eyes visible. They are notterritorial with other animals and can be kept in groups, provided a large enough aquarium is provided. They arecarnivorous bottom feeders and require strong filtration as they are rather sensitive to water conditions.[2] Many species of stingray have been bred incaptivity and males can be determined by the presence ofclaspers as in otherChondrichthyans.
^abCarvalho, M.R.d., Rosa, R.S. & Araújo, M.L.G. (2016): A new species of Neotropical freshwater stingray (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) from the Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil: the smallest species ofPotamotrygon.Zootaxa, 4107 (4): 566-586.
^Oddone, M.C., G. Velasco & G. Rincon (2008). Occurrence of freshwater stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) in the Uruguay River and its tributaries, Uruguay, South America. International Journal of Ichthyology 14 (2): 69-76.
^Rosa, R.S., Carvalho, M.R.d. & Wanderley, C.d.A. (2008):Potamotrygon boesemani (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae), a new species of Neotropical freshwater stingray from Surinam.Neotropical Ichthyology, 6 (1): 1–8.
^Fontenelle, J.P., Silva, J.P.C.B.d. & Carvalho, M.R.d. (2014):Potamotrygon limai, sp. nov., a new species of freshwater stingray from the upper Madeira River system, Amazon basin (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae).Zootaxa, 3765 (3): 249–268.
^Silva, J.P.C.B.; T.S. Loboda (2019). "Potamotrygon marquesi, a new species of neotropical freshwater stingray (Potamotrygonidae) from the Brazilian Amazon Basin".Journal of Fish Biology.95 (2):594–612.Bibcode:2019JFBio..95..594C.doi:10.1111/jfb.14050.PMID31095730.
^Carvalho, M.R.d. (2016):Potamotrygon rex, a new species of Neotropical freshwater stingray (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) from the middle and upper rio Tocantins, Brazil, closely allied toPotamotrygon henlei (Castelnau, 1855).Zootaxa, 4150 (5): 537–565.
^Carvalho, M.R.d., Sabaj Pérez, M.H. & Lovejoy, N.R. (2011):Potamotrygon tigrina, a new species of freshwater stingray from the upper Amazon basin, closely related toPotamotrygon schroederi Fernandez-Yépez, 1958 (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae).Zootaxa, 2827: 1–30.
^Chabain, Jules; Pierre-Olivier Antoine; Ali J. Altamirano-Sierra; Laurent Marivaux; François Pujos; Rodolfo Salas Gismondi; Sylvain Adnet (2017). Cenozoic batoids from Contamana (Peruvian Amazonia) with focus on freshwater potamotrygonins and their paleoenvironmental significance. Geobios 50: 389–400.doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2017.10.003
