Himantura australis

(Last, White & Naylor, 2016)

Vernacular names
English : Australian whipray
French : Raie pastenague d’Australie

Classification
Class : Elasmobranchii
Order : Myliobatiformes
Family : Dasyatidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
The species grows to disk width of 113 cm and total length of 350 cm. Very long and thin dark tail. Dorsal surface pale yellow to grey-white with dense network of black spots forming very dense reticulated pattern of wavy lines.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the southwest Pacific Ocean, around the coasts of northern Australia and south New Guinea. Lives around sandy and muddy bottoms near coasts, estuaries, to 45 m deep.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species could be locally protected but declining in other areas because of overfishing, habitat loss and pollution.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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