Estuary stingray

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Estuary stingray

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Hemitrygon
Species:
H. fluviorum
Binomial name
Hemitrygon fluviorum
(J. D. Ogilby, 1908)
Geographic range[2]

The estuary stingray (Hemitrygon fluviorum), also called the estuary stingaree or brown stingray, is a

pectoral fin
disc and a mostly smooth, whip-like tail bearing both dorsal and ventral fin folds. It can additionally be identified by its long, narrow nostrils and the row of thorns along the midline of its back.

While the estuary stingray has gained infamy for consuming

habitat degradation, mortality from commercial and recreational fishing, and persecution by shellfish farmers. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) has assessed it as Near Threatened.

Taxonomy

The first reference to the estuary stingray in scientific literature was probably a record by 19th-century English

ichthyologist James Douglas Ogilby in a 1908 volume of Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, based on a specimen collected from the Brisbane River. The specific epithet fluviorum means "of the rivers" in Latin.[4]

Description

The estuary stingray has a diamond-shaped

pectoral fin disc about as wide as long, with gently convex anterior margins and broadly rounded outer corners. The snout is wide and triangular, and tapers to a point. The small, widely spaced eyes are immediately followed by the spiracles. Between the long and narrow nostrils, there is a short and broad "skirt" of skin with a weakly fringed posterior margin. The small, bow-shaped mouth is surrounded by deep furrows and contains a row of five papillae across the floor, with the outermost pair tiny and set apart from the others. The teeth are small and arranged into pavement-like surfaces. There are five pairs of gill slits beneath the disc. The pelvic fins are relatively large.[2]

The tail measures twice as long as the disc, and is broad and flattened at the base. On its upper surface is at least one, often two serrated stinging spines. Past the spines, the tail quickly tapers to become whip-like and bears a well-developed keel above and a long, low fin fold beneath. There are wide patches of small

dermal denticles with flattened crowns between the eyes and over the middle of the back, along with a midline row of enlarged thorns that become progressively longer until they reach the base of the sting. Aside from the thorns at the base, the tail is smooth. This species is yellowish to greenish brown above, lightening towards the disc margins and darkening past the tail spine, and white below. It grows to at least 93 cm (37 in) across, and possibly reaches a width of 1.2 m (3.9 ft).[2] Its maximum recorded weight is 6.1 kg (13 lb).[5]

Distribution and habitat

The estuary stingray inhabits shallow waters with fine sediment.

The range of the estuary stingray spans approximately 1,700 km (1,100 mi) along

Merauke stingray (D. longicauda).[2][6][8]

The

high tide. Surface water temperatures within its range vary from 24–29 °C (75–84 °F) in the north to 17–23 °C (63–73 °F) in the south.[6] This species seems to segregate by size and sex.[9]

Biology and ecology

The soldier crab is an important prey species of the estuary stingray.

Despite its reputation for preying voraciously on

tapeworm Shirleyrhynchus aetobatidis,[10] the nematode Echinocephalus overstreeti[11] and the monogeneans Heterocotyle chin,[12] Empruthotrema dasyatidis[13] and Neoentobdella cribbi.[14]

Like other stingrays, the estuary stingray exhibits

maximum lifespan is estimated to be 16 years for males and 23 years for females.[15]

Human interactions

Historical and anecdotal evidence strongly suggest that the once-abundant estuary stingray has declined substantially across its range.

urbanized areas in Australia, where there is extensive land reclamation, water pollution, and construction of flood mitigation barriers on rivers.[6] Finally, this ray's reputation for damaging shellfish has led to persecution by commercial shellfish farmers.[7]

The estuary stingray's diminished population and susceptibility to multiple threats have led the

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are located within its range, but at present they lack adequate protection from fishing. As this ray remains locally abundant in Hervey Bay and parts of Moreton Bay, these areas may become important centers for preserving the species.[7] The Queensland government has listed the estuary stingray on the Back on Track species prioritisation framework, to facilitate the development of conservation measures.[16]

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T41797A68618306.en
    . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-674-03411-2
    .
  3. ISBN 978-2-8317-0650-4
    .
  4. ^ Ogilby, J.D. (25 August 1908). "On new genera and species of fishes". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. 21: 1–26.
  5. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2010). "Dasyatis fluviorum" in FishBase. January 2010 version.
  6. ^ a b c d Pierce, S.J.; Bennett, M.B. (15 March 2010). "Distribution of the estuary stingray (Dasyatis fluviorum) in Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 55 (1): 89–97.
  7. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T41797A104116059.en
    .
  8. PMID 26171511
    .
  9. ^
    S2CID 38462666
    .
  10. S2CID 24232674
    .
  11. S2CID 2436786. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 30 September 2011.
  12. PMID 9024861
    .
  13. S2CID 26375148
    .
  14. PMID 19391329. Open access icon
  15. ^
    doi:10.1071/MF10073
    .
  16. ^ Estuary stingray Archived 17 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine (31 August 2007). Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management. Retrieved 6 November 2011.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Estuary_stingray&oldid=1217198158"