Description

This medium sized whipray is distinguished by the following characters: disc rhombic, small head (39-41% WD); internasal width 8.3-8.8% WD; small oval to heart-shaped mid-shoulder denticle, with obvious denticle band in adults; tail whip-like without skin folds, upper surface variably white-spotted; disc rather flat, wider than long, length 76-87% WD; pectoral-fin apex rounded to somewhat angular; snout broad with enlarged triangular apical lobe, the anterior margins weakly concave; eyes are small and potruding slightly, length of orbit and spiracle ca. 2 in snout length, interorbital space 1.9-2 times the orbit length; mouth arched, 2-5 oral papillae (medial pair enlarged); labial furrows and folds are prominent; lower jaw arched slightly; nasal curtain is subrectangular, the posterior margin finely fringed; mid-shoulder denticle small and only slightly larger than smaller denticles adjacent; in adults the denticle band is well-developed with slow development in young; tail is very long and slender, 2.8-3.4 times WD in length; slightly depressed in cross-section and tapering gently and evenly toward caudal sting, then weakly beyond the sting; with usually one caudal sting; tail beyond caudal sting is sparsely covered with denticles (Ref. 114953).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Elasmobranchii

Order: Myliobatiformes

Family: Dasyatidae

Genus: Maculabatis

Species: Maculabatis macrura (Bleeker, 1852)

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

This species is mainly benthic on soft bottoms, from inshore to at least 60 m. Feeds mainly on small prawns. Size to at least 85 cm WD or 220 cm TL. Males mature at ca. 46-48 cm WD while females at about 64 cm WD, born at ca. 18 cm WD (Ref. 114953).

Habitat

demersal