Megatrygon
| Smalleye stingray | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: | Dasyatidae |
| Genus: | Dasyatis |
| Species: | D. microps |
| Binomial name | |
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Dasyatis microps (Annandale, 1908) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Trygon microps Annandale, 1908 |
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Trygon microps Annandale, 1908
The smalleye stingray (Dasyatis microps) is a large species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, measuring up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft) across. Rare but widely distributed, it is found in the Indo-Pacific from Mozambique to India to northern Australia. This species may be semi-pelagic in nature, inhabiting both deeper waters and shallow coastal reefs and estuaries. It is characterized by a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc much wider than long, a tail that is broad and flattened in front of the spine but whip-like behind, and large white spots over its back.
The very wide shape of the smalleye stingray differs from that of most other members of its family, and may reflect a mode of swimming similar to other rays such as manta rays. This species is aplacental viviparous, with litter sizes perhaps as small as one pup. A handful of smalleye stingrays are caught incidentally by commercial fisheries across its range. At present there is insufficient data for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to determine its conservation status beyond Data Deficient.
In 1908, Scottish zoologist Nelson Annandale described the smalleye stingray as Trygon microps, in the second volume of Records of the Indian Museum. He based his account on a large specimen collected from a depth of 31 m (102 ft) in the Bay of Bengal, near Chittagong, Bangladesh. Later authors synonymized the genus Trygon with Dasyatis.
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