Bathytoshia centroura (Mitchill, 1815)
Description
Diagnosis: Large specimens of Dasyatis centroura are recognizable by their thorny tails, by the large size and wide spacing spacing of their mid-dorsal bucklers, and by the conspicuous tubercles or bucklers on the outer parts of their discs; in smaller specimens the large tubercles have not yet developed on the tail (Ref. 6902). It differs from Dasyatis sabina, D. guttata and Himantura schmardae in the shape of disc; it resembles Dasyatis say and D. americana in shape of disc, but it can be distinguished from D. say by the fact that the tail lacks any trace of a cutaneous fold above, and from D. americana by its much narrower ventral tailfold (Ref. 6902).
Common Names
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Bathytoshia
Species: Bathytoshia centroura (Mitchill, 1815)
Climate Zone
Location
Biology
Dasyatis centroura is a coastal species (Ref. 81259), found over sandy and muddy bottoms (Ref. 3169). It feeds on bottom-living invertebrates and fishes (Ref. 3169). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 6901). Wings marketed fresh, smoked, dried-salted; used for fishmeal and oil. Harmful to shellfish banks; dangerous to bathers and fishers due to its poisonous spine. May attain well over 100 cm TL. Warm season visitor to coastal waters (Ref. 6902).
Habitat
brackish