Diving Fun Fact
The Bullseye Round Stingray (Urobatis concentricus) is named for the circular shape of its flat spotted body and belongs to the round family of stingrays. This ray grows to a length of 19 inches and a width of 11 inches. Its tail is much shorter than most stingrays, but it does have a venomous spine near the middle of it. Like all stingrays, the bullseye round is non-aggressive toward humans and only raises its tail in defense when it feels threatened.
Some researchers believe this stingray is not a full species, but simply a color morph of the round stingray (Urobatis helleri). However, the taxonomy of the bullseye round is still being investigated, so there is currently no confirmation either way.
It is endemic to Mexico but is currently listed as Date Deficient on the IUCN Red List. We photographed this Bullseye Round Stingray during a dive in Hualtulco, Mexico. Read more in our post, Scuba Diving Hualtuco, Mexico.