Atlantic StingrayorSouthern Stingray
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Atlantic Stingray
Small tan ray with a pointed, spade-shaped snout and a barbed whip tail.
Southern Stingray
Classic diamond ray, whip tail with barb.
Southern stingray, next to Atlantic stingray: much bigger, sharply angular disc corners.
Side by side
| Atlantic Stingray | Southern Stingray | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hypanus sabinus | Hypanus americanus |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 10.75 lb · Texas (1994) | 246 lb · Texas (1998) |
| On the table | Wings are edible; most go back. | Wings are edible; watch the barb. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 1 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 1 of 2 states with a rule for either. In North Carolina, Atlantic stingray is No size limit, No bag limit while southern stingray has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Atlantic Stingray: size · bag · season | Southern Stingray: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit3 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | No size limit3 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, Atlantic stingray or southern stingray, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell Atlantic stingray from southern stingray?
Atlantic Stingray: Small tan ray with a pointed, spade-shaped snout and a barbed whip tail. Southern Stingray: Classic diamond ray, whip tail with barb. Southern stingray, next to Atlantic stingray: much bigger, sharply angular disc corners.
Which gets bigger, Atlantic stingray or southern stingray?
Southern Stingray. The heaviest state record we hold is 246 lb in Texas; the heaviest Atlantic stingray record is 10.75 lb in Texas.
Which is better to eat, Atlantic stingray or southern stingray?
Atlantic Stingray: Wings are edible; most go back. Southern Stingray: Wings are edible; watch the barb.
Do Atlantic stingray and southern stingray have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 1 state rulebooks. North Carolina: Atlantic stingray No size limit, No bag limit, southern stingray no rule of its own.