---
title: "Spiny Butterfly Ray"
description: "Gymnura altavela — Ryby. The spiny butterfly ray or giant butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) is a species of butterfly ray, family Gymnuridae, native to the shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/spiny-butterfly-ray
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Spiny Butterfly Ray

> Gymnura altavela — Ryby. The spiny butterfly ray or giant butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) is a species of butterfly ray, family Gymnuridae, native to the shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

- Scientific name: *Gymnura altavela*
- Category: `fish` (Ryby)
- Habitats: `sea` (Morze i wybrzeże)
- iNaturalist observations: 696
- Wikidata: [Q3824131](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3824131)
- iNaturalist taxon: [101906](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/101906)

## Names

- en: Spiny Butterfly Ray
- de: Stachel-Schmetterlingsrochen
- es: Raya de papel
- fr: Raie papillon épineuse
- pt: Raia-borboleta

## Countries with the most observations

ES (581), US (37), BR (11), GR (9), IL (4), PT (3)

## Summary

The spiny butterfly ray or giant butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) is a species of butterfly ray, family Gymnuridae, native to the shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A large ray that can measure over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) across, it may be distinguished from the sympatric smooth butterfly ray (G. micrura) by the spine at the base of its tail and by a small tentacular structure on the margin of each spiracle. Slow-reproducing and valued for its meat, in recent decades its population has experienced a decline of over 30%, and it has become Critically Endangered in certain parts of its range.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_butterfly_ray

## Photo

![Spiny Butterfly Ray](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/spiny-butterfly-ray/medium.jpg)

Photo: Mirela · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/94148421

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/spiny-butterfly-ray?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).