In the western Atlantic it is found from Massachusetts, United States to Buenos Aires Province, Argentina; it is rare in the Gulf of Mexico and common in the mouths of tidal creeks along the Virginia coast.

[4] The spiny butterfly ray has a very broad, lozenge-shaped pectoral fin disk much wider than it is long, with concave front margins and abruptly rounded corners.

[6] In the western Atlantic, the spiny butterfly ray feeds on fishes, including Leiognathus and small sharks, and squids.

An active predator, the ray typically approaches a prey item slowly before rapidly spinning around over it and striking the food with the leading edge of one of their pectoral fins.

This behavior likely serves to stun the prey before capture, as the pectoral fins of butterfly rays contain a high proportion of red muscle and can deliver blows of substantial force.

[7][8] Potential predators of spiny butterfly rays include larger fish such as the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), and marine mammals.

[3] In the northwest Atlantic, the depletion of seven large shark species by commercial fisheries has led to an increase in the population of the spiny butterfly ray and other mid-level predators.

[3] The meat of this species is highly regarded and it is caught for human consumption, except for in the waters off the United States where it is not targeted by commercial fisheries and is rarely taken as bycatch.

[1] Elsewhere in the spiny butterfly ray's range, it faces heavy fishing pressure, including in its coastal nursery areas, and has experienced marked declines.

The comprehensive Mediterranean International Trawl Surveys (MITS) since 1994 have failed to recover any specimens, indicating a massive decline in numbers.