Broom Flat-body vs Coastal stingaree

Agonopterix scopariella compared with Urolophus orarius

Key Differences

• Broom Flat-body is Near Threatened while Coastal stingaree is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broom Flat-body	Coastal stingaree
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family	Depressariidae	Urolophidae
Genus	Agonopterix	Urolophus
Species	Agonopterix scopariella	Urolophus orarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Broom Flat-body and Coastal stingaree share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Broom Flat-body

NT — Near Threatened

Coastal stingaree

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broom Flat-body	Coastal stingaree
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broom Flat-body

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Coastal stingaree

Broom Flat-body

The Broom Flat-Body (Agonopterix scopariella) is a species in the genus Agonopterix. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Coastal stingaree

Coastal stingaree (Urolophus orarius) is a small batoid ray in the family Urolophidae, endemic to shallow coastal waters of southern Australia, particularly along the coasts of South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. Like other stingarees, it has a rounded disc, a short tail armed with one or two venomous spines, and lacks a distinct rostrum. It inhabits sandy and muddy nearshore substrates in depths typically less than 30 metres, where it forages for polychaete worms, crustaceans, and small molluscs buried in the seabed. Females are ovoviviparous, giving birth to small litters of live young following internal development. Coastal stingaree is assessed as Endangered by the IUCN, driven by its restricted range, slow reproductive rate, and significant bycatch in inshore commercial and recreational fisheries operating across southern Australian coastal waters. Bottom trawling, prawn trawling, and gillnetting are identified as major threats. The species receives limited targeted conservation attention and is not currently the subject of specific fisheries management measures. Its small home range and coastal distribution make it especially vulnerable to localised fishery impacts.