See also: Diamond stingray. The backwater butterfly ray, butterfly ray, diamond ray, or short-tailed ray (Gymnura natalensis) is a species of chondrichthyan fish in the family Gymnuridae. It is found in off the coasts Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, possibly Kenya, and possibly Tanzania. Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow seas, estuarine waters, and coastal saline lagoons. It is threatened by habitat loss, though it was considered common from 1940s-1960s.