Yellow stingray

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Yellow stingray
A dark green ray with minute yellow lines, lying on sand amongst scattered seagrass

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Urotrygonidae
Genus: Urobatis
Species:
U. jamaicensis
Binomial name
Urobatis jamaicensis
(Cuvier, 1816)
World map with blue shading in and around the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Range of the yellow stingray
Synonyms
  • Raia jamaicensis Cuvier 1816
  • Trygonobatus torpedinus Desmarest 1823
  • Urobatis sloani vermiculatus Garman 1913
  • Urolophus jamaicensis Cuvier 1816
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Urobatis jamaicensis.

The yellow stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis) is a species of

inshore waters, commonly near coral reefs
.

Female yellow stingrays are larger than males. Females reach about a maximum length of about 26 inches whereas the male will reach a maximum legth of about 15 inches across. The yellow stingray has a round

caudal fin. It has a highly variable but distinctive dorsal color pattern consisting of either light-on-dark or dark-on-light reticulations forming spots and blotches, and can rapidly change the tonality of this coloration to improve its camouflage
.

Relatively sedentary during the day, the yellow stingray feeds on small

Least Concern
.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

French

type specimens were designated.[2] Subsequent authors moved this species to the genus Urolophus, and then to the genus Urobatis (some literature still refers to this species as Urolophus jamaicensis). Other common names used for this ray include the yellow-spotted ray, the round ray, and the maid ray.[3]

Nathan Lovejoy's 1996

taxa.[4]

Description

Ray with numerous fine, dark vermiculations on an almost white background, blending in with the sand it's resting on
The yellow stingray is capable of adjusting its coloration to better blend into the environment.

The yellow stingray is small, growing no more than 36 cm (14 in) across and 70 cm (28 in) long.

papillae on the floor. There are 30–34 tooth rows in the upper jaw and a similar number in the lower jaw, arranged into bands. The teeth are broad-based, with low, blunt crowns in females and juveniles, and tall, pointed cusps in adult males. The teeth of males are more widely spaced than those of females. The pelvic fins have nearly straight leading margins and rounded trailing margins.[3][7]

The tail is stout and flattened, comprising less than half the total length, and terminates in a small, leaf-shaped

caudal fin about a quarter high as long, that is continuous around the last vertebra.[6][7] A serrated spine is positioned about halfway along the tail.[8] Newborn rays are smooth-skinned; shortly after birth small, blunt tubercles appear in the middle of the back, which in larger adults extends to between the eyes, the "shoulders", and the base of the tail. Adults also develop recurved thorns along the upper margin of the caudal fin.[3] The color and pattern of the yellow stingray varies significantly among individuals, though most follow one of two schemes: minute dark green or brown reticulations on a light background, or dense white, yellow, or golden spots on a dark green or brown background. The underside is yellowish, greenish, or brownish white, with small darker spots toward the disc margin and the tail.[7] This species is capable of rapidly changing the tone and contrast of its coloration to better match its environment.[8]

Distribution and habitat

Ray with fine dark lines on a light background, swimming over an invertebrate-encrusted bottom
The yellow stingray prefers habitats with a dense covering of invertebrates.

The yellow stingray is found throughout the inshore waters of the

ppt.[1]

sessile invertebrates (termed live-bottom habitats), but can also be found over sand, mud or seagrass (Thalassia), sometimes in the vicinity of coral reefs.[1] Off Jamaica, large numbers of yellow stingrays, up to one per square meter, gather beneath the aerial roots of mangrove trees used as roosts by cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis); it is theorized that the birds' droppings sustain invertebrates that attract the rays.[11] There is no evidence of seasonal migration, though during the spring females tend to be found closer to shore than males.[12]

Biology and ecology

Biofluorescence of the yellow stingray

During the day, the yellow stingray is fairly inactive and spends much time buried under a thin layer of sediment or lying motionless in vegetation.

sharks and rays that have been investigated thus far.[15] It and other stingrays have a large brain relative to other rays, comprising around 1–2% of the body weight.[16]

The diet of the yellow stingray is poorly documented but includes

tapeworms Acanthobothrium cartagenensis, Phyllobothrium kingae, Discobothrium caribbensis, Rhinebothrium magniphallum,[3] and R. biorchidum,[20] and the monogenean Dendromonocotyle octodiscus.[21]

The yellow stingray exhibits

biofluorescence, that is, when illuminated by blue or ultraviolet light, it re-emits it as green, and appears differently than under white light illumination. Biofluorescence potentially assists intraspecific communication and camouflage.[22]

Life history

Ray swimming over a dense bed of seagrass
Seagrass beds are important reproductive habitat for yellow stingrays

Like other stingrays, the yellow stingray is

gestation period. The first period of ovulation occurs from January to April, peaking in late February and early March, with birthing from June to September, peaking in late July and early August. The second period of ovulation occurs from August to September, with birthing from November to January. The two cycles overlap as vitellogenesis (yolk formation) begins while the female is still pregnant.[23]

Courtship and mating in the yellow stingray involves one or more males closely following a female, seeking to bite and grip the rear margin of her disc; the high, pointed teeth of males serve to aid in this endeavor. Once the male successfully holds onto the female, he flips under her so that the two are aligned abdomen-to-abdomen, and inserts a single clasper into her cloaca. Rival males may attempt to interfere with the mating pair by biting or bumping them. In one observation that took place in water 2.5 m (8.2 ft) deep near Tobacco Caye on the Belize Barrier Reef, the male pursuit lasted between 30 and 60 seconds and copulation lasted four minutes.[13][17]

The predominant source of embryonic nutrition is histotroph, which supports a 46-fold weight increase from ovum to near-term

maximum lifespan is 15–25 years.[26]

Human interactions

A ray over a pebble bottom, with the front of a second ray to its right
Yellow stingrays at the Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida

Generally, yellow stingrays pay little heed to divers and can be approached closely.[8] If stepped on or otherwise provoked, however, this ray will defend itself with its tail spine, coated in potent venom. The resulting wound is extremely painful, but seldom life-threatening.[3][9] Small and docile, the yellow stingray adapts readily to captivity and has reproduced in the aquarium; it requires a large amount of space (at least 180 gal or 684 L) and a fine, deep substrate with minimal ornamentation.[17]

The

habitat degradation, particularly to seagrass beds. No conservation measures have been enacted for this species.[1]

Gallery

  • A yellow stingray swimming over rubble.
    A yellow stingray swimming over rubble.
  • A yellow stingray resting on a reef in Miami, Florida.
    A yellow stingray resting on a reef in
    Miami, Florida
    .
  • A yellow stingray at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon.
    A yellow stingray at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon.
  • A yellow stingray swimming over a sandy substrate.
    A yellow stingray swimming over a sandy substrate.
  • A yellow stingray resting under a layer of sand in Cozumel, Mexico.
    A yellow stingray resting under a layer of sand in
    Cozumel, Mexico
    .
  • A yellow stingray behind a gorgonian.
    A yellow stingray behind a gorgonian.

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T60109A124438908.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, W. N. (ed.) jamaicensis, Raia Archived 2012-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. Catalog of Fishes electronic version (19 February 2010). Retrieved on March 21, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Piercy, A. Biological Profiles: Yellow Stingray. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.
  4. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1996.tb02189.x
    .
  5. S2CID 52477747
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 92-5-104825-8
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 0-292-75206-7
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 1-55209-629-7
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 1-57806-827-4
    .
  10. ISBN 0-8050-0733-4
    .
  11. ISBN 0-7637-3313-X
    .
  12. ^ a b Fahy, D.P. and R.E. Spieler. Activity patterns, distribution and population structure of the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis in Southeast Florida (abstract). American Elasmobranch Society 2005 Annual Meeting, Tampa, Florida.
  13. ^
    JSTOR 1447257
    .
  14. PMID 18245624
    .
  15. S2CID 35514231
    .
  16. ^ Walker, B.K. & R.L. Sherman (2001). "Gross brain morphology in the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis" (PDF). Florida Scientist. 64 (4): 246–249. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  17. ^
    ISBN 1-890087-57-2
    .
  18. PMID 29105768
    .
  19. doi:10.1093/icb/icp003
    .
  20. S2CID 28259982
    .
  21. S2CID 84577956
    .
  22. PMID 24421880
    .
  23. ^ a b c d Fahy, D.P.; R.E. Spieler & W.C. Hamlett (2007). "Preliminary observations of the reproductive cycle and uterine fecundity of the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis (Elasmobranchii: Myliobatiformes: Urolophidae) in Southeast Florida, U.S.A." (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Supplement 14: 131–139. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
  24. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-010X(199811/12)282:4/5<438::AID-JEZ4>3.3.CO;2-Y. Archived from the original
    on 2013-01-05.
  25. PMID 21714110
    .
  26. ^ Animals: Yellow Stingray Archived 2014-10-28 at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Retrieved on March 25, 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Urobatis jamaicensis.

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