Himantura jenkinsii (Dragon stingray)

(Annandale, 1909)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Chondrichthyes > Elasmobranchii > Batoidei >  Myliobatoidei > Dasyatidae

Himantura jenkinsii (Dragon stingray) [Illustration by Ann Hecht ©]

Identification

An angular stingray with a conspicuous band of enlarged, erect, hooked, rough thorns on midline of disk, small dark brown spots on rear margin of disk, and no caudal finfolds. Snout angular, disk with broadly rounded tips, tail slender and slightly greater than body length, and a single sting on tail. Colour brown above, with light rear margin, tail darker, disk white below with darker tan margin.

Size

To over 1 m TL and 56 cm DW (immature individual).

Range and Habitat

East coast, off Durban in water less than 50 m deep. Endemic.

Biology

Unknown, only one specimen collected, more wanted.

Human Impact

None.

Text by Leonard J.V. Compagno, David A. Ebert and Malcolm J. Smale