Cimar Round Ray vs Coastal Silver-stiletto

Urotrygon cimar compared with Acrosathe annulata

Key Differences

• Cimar Round Ray is Near Threatened while Coastal Silver-stiletto is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cimar Round Ray	Coastal Silver-stiletto
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family	Urotrygonidae	Therevidae
Genus	Urotrygon	Acrosathe
Species	Urotrygon cimar	Acrosathe annulata

Evolutionary Relationship

Cimar Round Ray and Coastal Silver-stiletto share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Cimar Round Ray

NT — Near Threatened

Coastal Silver-stiletto

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cimar Round Ray	Coastal Silver-stiletto
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cimar Round Ray

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Cimar Round Ray

The Cimar round ray (Urotrygon cimar) is a small stingray in the family Urotrygonidae, found in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Central America and northern South America, including the waters of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. It inhabits shallow coastal and estuarine waters over sandy and muddy bottoms, typically at depths of less than 50 meters, where it feeds on small benthic invertebrates and fish. Like other round rays in the genus Urotrygon, it has a nearly circular disc outline, a relatively slender tail, and a venomous caudal spine used defensively against predators. The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, reflecting its restricted range, vulnerability to coastal habitat degradation, and incidental capture in artisanal and commercial fisheries throughout its range. Bycatch in shrimp trawls and gill nets represents a significant ongoing threat to Urotrygon species throughout the eastern Pacific. Shallow coastal habitats in Central America and Colombia face continued pressure from development, mangrove loss, and pollution. The species' reproductive biology, like that of most Urotrygon rays, involves ovoviviparity, with females giving birth to live young after internal development. Population assessments for this species remain limited, and more data on abundance and mortality rates are needed.

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Coastal silver stiletto (Acrosathe annulata) is a slender robber fly in the family Therevidae, native to northwestern Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia. Adults are found on coastal sand dunes and sandy heathland, where they perch on bare sand to ambush small flying insects. Stiletto flies in the family Therevidae are characterised by a slender body, long pointed abdomen, and predatory habits; adults prey on a variety of small dipterans and other flying insects during warm, sunny periods. Larvae develop in sandy soil, where they are also predatory, feeding on other invertebrate larvae. Acrosathe annulata is a habitat specialist restricted to open, sandy coastal habitats with sparse vegetation—environments that have declined substantially across northwestern Europe due to dune stabilisation, recreational disturbance, and the cessation of traditional dune management. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though regional conservation bodies in the United Kingdom have flagged population declines. It is considered an indicator of high-quality coastal sand dune habitats and is monitored through national invertebrate surveys.