Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Porcupine River Stingray (Potamotrygon histrix) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

The Porcupine River Stingray (Potamotrygon histrix) is a freshwater stingray native to the Paraná and Paraguay River basins in South America. P. histrix is used as a food source and is potentially present illegally in the ornamental trade. P. histrixi is listed as a conditional species in Florida, which prohibits possession without a special permit. As with most stingrays, there is risk of injury to humans from the barbed spine present on the tail of this species. The history of invasiveness for Potamotrygon histrix is classified as No Known Nonnative Population. This species may be present in the aquarium trade. No records of introduction into the wild were found. The climate match with the contiguous United States is medium. Much of the contiguous United States had a low match with areas of high match in the southeast, southeastern Texas, and central Oklahoma. The certainty of assessment is low due to lack of information. The overall risk category is Uncertain.