Sting ray

Sting rays, also known as stingrays, were a relatively common mundane species of aquatic animal in the ray family. They were cousins of the much larger manta ray.

Description
The bodies of these creatures generally grew to be across and weigh roughly. Their tails were similarly and had one or more barbs near their base.

Behavior
Like other species of ray, this creature tended to hide its body beneath the silt and sand of the seafloor so they could surprise their prey. Their cover themselves with sand or burrowing beneath it, which rendered them mostly camouflaged to other predators. However, because of this other creatures, such as humans, were often at risk of accidentally stepping upon them. They could be irritable, but were rather lethargic.

Biology
These creatures possessed a wide-angled vision. The barbed tails that gave sting rays their name contained a powerful, painful venom that induced nausea and a temporary state of paralysis.

Combat
When threatened, such as being accidentally stepped on, sting rays would lash out at the offending creature with their barbed tails and injected them with its poison.

Ecology
Sting rays were often encountered solitarily, in pairs, or in schools of five to twelve members.

Diet
Sting rays were a bottom feeding species of aquatic animal. Like all species of ray, pungi rays were carnivorous creatures. They primarily fed upon mollusks and crustaceans.

Habitats
These creatures could be found in a variety of aquatic environments, in regions with a warm or tropical climate, though like most species of ray they typically they inhabited shallow waters. In the Realms, sting rays were particularly known to inhabit the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Relationships
Some druids that frequented aquatic environments were known to have sting rays as an animal companion. And some sea mages were known to keep them as familiars.

Some nereids were known to keep sting rays as pets.

Usage
The tails of these creatures could be fashioned into a form of whip. Other creatures were known to harvest their venom to use as poison.

Trivia

 * Those who specialized in sea-based magic could summon a sting ray with the spell monster summoning II.