Potamotrygon Reticulata
Common Names: Reticulated River Ray, Teacup Ray, Colombian Ray
Distribution: Magdalena and Atrato Rivers, Colombia
Maximum Size (Disc Width): appx. 14"+, females get larger.
*Note: P. Magdalenae have elongated tails, total length adult: 30".
This is considered one of the 3 smallest Freshwater Stingrays.
Juvenile Tank Footprint: 48"x18"
Adult Tank Footprint: 72"x30"
Feeding Habits: P. Reticulata tend to very finicky eaters, especially when juvenile. They tend to only eat small live foods, such as ghost shrimp and blackworms for the first few months in captivity. Once acclimated, they can be weaned to other small prepared foods.
Info: Potamotrygon Reticulata is one of the most common and mis-identified stingrays in the aquarium hobby. Often Exported and Imported as 'Teacup' Stingray, a generic term used for a juvenile stingray with no identification. This species is more prone to becoming neglected during shipment, and being of very poor quality once acclimated in a local fish store. Parasites are a very common secondary infection due to stress and improper husbandry while at distributorships. P. Reticulata come in a number of different color variants and patterns. Both geographical variations will be noted in the photo gallery, as their is still much confusion to the identification of this particular species. It is believed that their are actually 2 seperate sub-species of P. Reticulkata, with names such as 'Red Reticulata, Potamotrygon sp. "Red", and Colombian Red Ray."
R.S Rosa recently hypothesized that P. Reticulata is synonymous with Potamotrygon Orbignyi, and should be classified as such. Hobbyists have noted some morphological differences in what seems to be 2 separate sub-species, such as the tail structure varying from one specimen to the next. It is near impossible to use these physical characteristics in home aquaria as defining parameters in the variations, due to shipping damage of the tail structure. Other defining characteristics in the variations have been noted as well, including the pattern and coloration on the underside of one P. Reticulata, while this characteristic is unfound in some other varieties of P. Reticulata.
Attached Images