The longheaded eagle ray lacks a caudal fin. Little else is known about the ecology and reproduction of the Southern eagle ray. Aetomylaeus is a genus of eagle ray in the family Myliobatidae. Samuel Garman described the southern eagle ray in 1885. The purple eagle ray is a medium-sized species. Aetobatus poeyi is an extinct species of aetobatid eagle ray from Cuba. The Southern eagle ray has several parasites that infect it. The spotted eagle ray is hunted by a wide variety of sharks. The Southern eagle ray lives on various parts of the Atlanta coast. The longheaded eagle ray inhabits coastal shallow waters on the interior continental shelf. The Southern eagle ray is often caught intentionally in fishing nets by artisanal fisheries. The white spotted eagle ray ("Aetobatis narinari") is one such predator. Another reason the longheaded eagle ray is a concern to conservationist in their low fecundity. The spotted eagle ray belongs to the Myliobatidae, which includes the well known manta ray. The spotted eagle ray is included in the IUCN's Red List as "near threatened".