Coastal stingaree vs Crested Myna

Urolophus orarius compared with Acridotheres cristatellus

Key Differences

• Coastal stingaree is Endangered while Crested Myna is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal stingaree	Crested Myna
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Aves (Birds)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Urolophidae	Sturnidae
Genus	Urolophus	Acridotheres
Species	Urolophus orarius	Acridotheres cristatellus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Coastal stingaree

EN — Endangered

Crested Myna

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal stingaree	Crested Myna
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal stingaree

Crested Myna

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates), Europe (7 countries), and South America (Argentina, Bolivia).

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.

Crested Myna

Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.