 The predominant prey of the common stingray are bottom @-@ dwelling crustaceans , though it also takes molluscs , polychaete worms , and small bony fishes . It is aplacental viviparous : the embryos are nourished by yolk and later histotroph ( " uterine milk " ) produced by the mother . Females bear 4 – 9 young twice per year in shallow water , after a gestation period of four months . The common stingray can inflict a painful , though rarely life @-@ threatening , wound with its venomous tail spine . During classical antiquity , its sting was ascribed many mythical properties . This species is not sought after by commercial fisheries , but is taken in large numbers as bycatch and utilized for food , fishmeal , and liver oil . Its population is apparently dwindling across its range , though there is not yet sufficient data for the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) to assess it beyond Data Deficient . 
