The most abundant ray in inshore waters off eastern Australia, it generally inhabits estuaries, sandy flats, and rocky reefs from the shore to a depth of 60 m (200 ft).

The common stingaree contributes substantially to the bycatch of commercial trawl and other fisheries within its range, and is also caught regularly by recreational fishers.

Nevertheless, the common stingaree population does not appear to be in decline, and thus it has been listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The earliest known record of the common stingaree is a drawing made by English naturalist Joseph Banks during the first voyage of James Cook from 1768 to 1771, of a specimen from New Holland (Australia) that was never preserved.

Based on the drawing, German biologists Johannes Müller and Jakob Henle described the species in their 1839–41 Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen, creating for it the new genus Trygonoptera and giving it the specific epithet testacea, derived from the Latin word for "brick-colored".

[3] The distribution of the common stingaree is limited to the coastal waters off eastern Australia, extending from Caloundra in southern Queensland to Cape Howe in Victoria; the majority of its population is found north of Jervis Bay.

[1][4] The common stingaree has a rounded pectoral fin disc slightly wider than long, with nearly straight anterior margins that converge at a broad angle on the fleshy snout.

Very young rays 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) feed almost exclusively on shrimp; with age polychaetes become progressively more important until they come to dominate the diet.

Recreational surf anglers in Queensland and northern New South Wales regularly catch common stingarees, and often leave them on the beach to die.

[1] Despite facing significant fishing pressure and having a low reproductive rate, the common stingaree remains abundant and there is no evidence of population decline.

Its range encompasses a number of marine protected areas, and it would potentially benefit from the implementation of the 2004 Australian National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.