Leopard whipray

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Leopard whipray
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Himantura
Species:
H. leoparda
Binomial name
Himantura leoparda
Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008

The leopard whipray (Himantura leoparda) is a little-known

fisheries
in many parts of its range, primarily for meat.

Taxonomy

Historically, the leopard stingray has been conflated with the

Weipa, Queensland.[2] Another common name for this species is the undulate whipray.[3] It belongs to a larger 'uarnak' species complex that also contains H. australis, H. tutul, H. uarnak, and H. undulata.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The leopard whipray is found on or near the bottom, preferring fine sediment.

The leopard whipray has been reported from off eastern

inshore over soft-bottomed habitats. It is known to occur to a depth of 70 m (230 ft).[3]

Description

The leopard whipray resembles its namesake in dorsal coloration.

A large species reaching 1.4 m (4.6 ft) across and 4.1 m (13 ft) long, the leopard whipray has a diamond-shaped

pelvic fins are fairly slender; males have stout claspers.[2][5]

The very thin, whip-like tail measures 2.5–3.8 times as long as the disc, and bears usually one serrated stinging spine on top about half a disc width behind the tail base; there are no fin folds.[2][5] Adults have a broad band of tiny, closely spaced granules extending from before the eyes, onto to the tail. At the center of the disc, there is a midline row of up to 15 enlarged, heart-shaped denticles, with the two largest ones located one after the other between the "shoulders". There are no enlarged denticles on the base of the tail.[3] When born, this species is grayish to brownish above with large black spots, a row of dark spots on either side of the tail until the sting, and beyond it alternating dark and light rings. The spots hollow out at around a disc width of 55 cm (22 in), such as that large juveniles and adults are mostly covered by a leopard-like pattern of large, dark brown rings on a yellowish-brown background.[2] The dark and light rings on the tail fade ventrally to become saddles. The underside is uniformly white. This ray was thought to have two alternate color morphs [2][5] but subsequent research showed that these were distinct, reproductively isolated species, H. leoparda and H. tutul.[6][7]

Biology and ecology

The natural history of the leopard whipray is poorly understood, partly due to confusion with other species. It presumably preys on

tapeworms Parachristianella indonesiensis and P. baverstocki.[8]

Human interactions

The

bottom trawls, tangle nets, and longlines.[3][5] Most individuals caught in eastern Indonesia are juveniles.[9]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T195456A68628645.en
    . Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. ^
    ISBN 1-921424-18-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (link
    )
  3. ^
    ISBN 9781921605598
    .
  4. ^
    S2CID 255610805
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0674034112
    .
  6. S2CID 17310045
    .
  7. S2CID 13204782
    .
  8. S2CID 85869638
    .
  9. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01458.x
    .
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