This quick key is a guide to the most common stingrays you’ll find in Florida waters.
| 1a) Disc round in shape, colored yellowish with spots | Urobatis jamaicensis– Yellow stingray |
| 1b) Disc roughly diamond shaped, no such color (Dasyatis) | Go to question 2 |
| 2a) Tips of wings more or less rounded, disc obviously wider (wingtip to wingtip) than long (snout to posterior disc margin) | Go to question 3 |
| 2b) Tips of wings more or less pointed, disc about as wide as wide as long | Go to question 4 |
| 3a) Distance from tip of snout to eyes greater than distance between eyes, anterior margins of disc somewhat concave anterior to level of eyes, generally brackish and fresh water | Dasyatis sabina – Atlantic stingray |
| 3b) Distance from tip of snout to eyes less than distance between eyes, anterior margins of disc straight anterior to level of eyes, generally marine waters | Dasyatis say – Bluntnose stingray |
| 4a) Tail with large thorns (bucklers), not usually found coastally | Dasyatis centroura – Roughtail stingray |
| 4b) Tail with small spines only, found coastally and in somewhat deeper water | Dasyatis americana – Southern stingray |