Pastinachus ater

(Macleay, 1883)

Vernacular names
English : Broad cowtail ray
French : Raie pastenague à queue de banane

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

Identification
The species can reach 2 m of disk width for a total length exceeding 3 meters. Snout short and roughly round, disk wider than long. Tail with conspicuous long and wide ventral fold. Coloration dark grey-brown to black, black tail fold and tail.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the Indo-Pacific area, from the Gulf of Aden and Persian gulf to Madagascar, east to Solomon Islands, Australia and New Caledonia. Lives around sandy continental and insular shelves, also estuaries, down to 100 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : VULNERABLE
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has been declining in most of its range, particularly Southeast Asia, because of overfishing for its meat. Protected in Australia.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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