Stingrays are cartilaginous fish classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei, consisting of about 220 species across eight families. They inhabit tropical and subtropical marine waters worldwide, with some species found in deep ocean or freshwater environments. Most are demersal, but a few, like pelagic stingrays, are pelagic. Unfortunately, many stingray species are threatened or vulnerable to extinction, primarily due to unregulated fishing, with 45 species listed as vulnerable or endangered by the IUCN as of 2013.
