A bottom-dwelling predator taking mostly crustaceans, the sandyback stingaree is aplacental viviparous: females supply their unborn young with histotroph ("uterine milk"), bearing up to five pups every other year following a 14–19-month gestation period.

Significant numbers of this species are taken incidentally by commercial fisheries, primarily off New South Wales where overall stingaree populations have declined dramatically as a result.

With fishing pressure still intense in the area, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the sandyback stingaree as Vulnerable.

[1][4] The sandyback stingaree has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc much wider than long, with rounded outer corners and nearly straight leading margins converging at an obtuse angle.

The upper surface of the tail bears a serrated stinging spine, which is preceded by a relatively large dorsal fin.

[6] Reproduction is aplacental viviparous, probably with the developing embryos sustained by maternally produced histotroph ("uterine milk") like in other stingrays.

[1][4] Though specific data is lacking, trawl surveys have shown that stingaree catches from the New South Wales upper continental slope declined over 65% between 1976–77 and 1996–77.

Given that SESSF activity within its range remains high, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the sandyback stingaree as Vulnerable.