Clymene Dolphin vs Coastal stingaree

Stenella clymene compared with Urolophus orarius

Key Differences

• Clymene Dolphin is Least Concern while Coastal stingaree is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clymene Dolphin	Coastal stingaree
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)	Urolophidae
Genus	Stenella	Urolophus
Species	Stenella clymene	Urolophus orarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Clymene Dolphin and Coastal stingaree share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Clymene Dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Coastal stingaree

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clymene Dolphin	Coastal stingaree
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clymene Dolphin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Venezuela.

Coastal stingaree

Clymene Dolphin

The Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene, is a small cetacean endemic to the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea south along both the western and eastern Atlantic margins to approximately 20 degrees south latitude. Often called the short-snouted spinner dolphin, it is the only known naturally occurring cetacean hybrid species, believed to have originated through hybridization between the spinner dolphin (S. longirostris) and the striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba). Clymene dolphins are acrobatic and frequently perform spinning leaps similar to but less elaborate than their spinner relatives. They travel in schools typically ranging from 10 to several hundred individuals, sometimes associating with other dolphin species. The species inhabits deep offshore pelagic waters and is rarely observed close to coastlines. It feeds primarily on fish and cephalopods, foraging at night when mesopelagic prey move into shallower waters. Clymene dolphins measure approximately 1.7–2 meters in length and display a distinctive tripartite pattern of dark cape, lighter grey flanks, and white or pale yellow belly. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its relatively wide range and no evidence of major population-level threats.

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.