Gymnura marmorata

(Cooper, 1864)

Vernacular names
English : California butterfly ray
French : Raie-papillon marbrée

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

Identification
Adults can grow to about 1 meter in length. Wider than long, with broadly triangular fins, broad head with very small pointed snout. White underside with yellow-brown areas under fins. Upperside brown to black with faint vermiculations.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Californian coasts in USA to Peru. Lives in warm temperate to tropical shallow bays and beaches, to 94 meters deep.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NEAR THREATENED
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species can withstand a bit of pressure from fisheries but the catching levels near Central America are probably unsustainable, causing declines.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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