Members of this family have flattened pectoral fin discs that range from oval to diamond-like in shape.

All whiptail stingrays, except the porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus), have one or more venomous stings near the base of the tail, which is used in defense.

In order to sting their victims, they jerk their tails as the stinger falls off and stays in the wound that they have created.

The taxonomy of Dasyatidae was revised by Peter Last, Gavin Naylor, and Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto in 2016, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic data.

[2] Pastinachus Fontitrygon Urogymnus Brevitrygon Fluvitrygon Pateobatis Maculabatis Himantura Neotrygon Taeniura Hypanus Dasyatis Taeniurops Bathytoshia Pteroplatytrygon Hemitrygon Telatrygon