The whiptail stingrays are a family, the Dasyatidae, of rays in the order Myliobatiformes. They are found worldwide in tropical to temperate marine waters, and a number of species have also penetrated into fresh water in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Members of this family have flattened pectoral fin discs that range from oval to diamond-like in shape. Their common name comes from their whip-like tails, which are much longer than the disc and lack dorsal and caudal fins. All whiptail stingrays, except the porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus), have one or more venomous stings near the base of the tail, which is used in defense. In order to sting their victims, they jerk their tails as the stinger falls off and stays in the wound that they have created. The stinger of a whiptail stingray is pointy, sharp with jagged edges. During mating season, males often hold onto females by using teeth which curve towards the corners of their mouths. They range in size from or more across in the case of the smalleye stingray and giant freshwater stingray. Species, being highly electroreceptive, can detect weak electric fields from prey. Electroreception is a product of electroreceptors dispersed across the skin. This network of pores is part of organs known as the ampullae of Lorenzini.
Genera The taxonomy of Dasyatidae was revised by Peter Last, Gavin Naylor, and Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto in 2016, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic data. The placement of Megatrygon within the family is provisional pending further research, as evidence suggests it may be more closely related to the families Potamotrygonidae and Urotrygonidae than to other dasyatids.
Habitat Whiptail rays are commonly found in shallow tropical water, but they may also be found in temperate regions. Having flat bodies, they are demersal, meaning they live at the bottom of a body of water. These rays specifically live sometimes buried in sand or mud or even near coral reefs on continental shelves, or the shelf created when part of a continent is under water. Whiptail rays typically inhabit shallow coastlines of 100 to 200 meters down, but some go as far as 600 meters. To avoid being preyed upon, these rays usually stay buried with just their eyes protruding. These rays are preyed on by multiple shark species, specifically hammerhead sharks.
Some species of whiptail rays live in mangrove swamps, while others reside in the open ocean. Not all species of Whiptail rays live in salt water, however. The subfamily Potamotrygoninae lives solely in freshwater, often buried in sand or mud in backwaters or shallow rivers. This specific species only resides in West Africa and the Atlantic drainages of South America.
Diet The diet of Whiptail rays generally includes mollusks, crustaceans, jellyfish, and bony fish. They extract food by digging in the sand. In areas such as Stingray City in Grand Cayman and Hamelyn Bay in Western Australia, some rays accept scraps from tourists. Rays may also gather at fisherman's fish cleaning stations. Their electroreceptive abilities allow the rays to detect weak electric fields from prey. This ability allows rays to identify the relative area of prey from a distance.
Human use Species' flesh may be used for human consumption in areas like South-West Asia where it's salted and dried. Skin may also be used for leather products like wallets and shoes. Species may be found in aquarium exhibits or used for ecotourism.
Conservation Many whiptail ray species face decreasing populations, with a large number marked from threatened to endangered. The Smalltooth Stingray, Starrynose Cowtail Ray, Pakistan Whipray, Shorttail Whipray, Smooth Stingray, Colares Stingray, Wingfin Stingray, and Thorny Whipray are marked as critically endangered. Threats to stingrays include bycatch as product of overfishing, water contamination, loss of habitat, tourism, and climate change causing increased water temperatures. Note that some of these species listed below may be repeats under alternative names. NameScientific NamePopulation TrendRed List AssessmentLast AssessedBluntnose StingrayHypanus sayDecreasing Near Threatened 21 June 2019Blue StingrayDasyatis chrysonotaDecreasingNear Threatened01 August 2019Porcupine RayUrogymnus asperrimusDecreasingEndangered16 June 2023Brown WhiprayMaculabatis toshiUnknownLeast Concern12 May 2015Roughtail StingrayBathytoshia centrouraDecreasingVulnerable 21 June 2019Diamond StingrayHypanus dipterurusDecreasingVulnerable 08 February 2019Groovebelly StingrayDasyatis hypostigmaDecreasingEndangered 01 July 2019Common StingrayDasyatis pastinacaDecreasingVulnerable04 August 2020Leopard WhiprayHimantura leopardaDecreasingEndangered24 March 2023Giant Freshwater WhiprayUrogymnus polylepisDecreasingEndangered25 January 2021White-edge WhiprayFluvitrygon signiferDecreasingEndangered 25 January 2021Bengal WhiprayBrevitrygon imbricataDecreasingVulnerable30 April 2020Coach WhiprayHimantura uarnakDecreasingEndangered27 November 2020Bennett's StingrayHemitrygon bennettiDecreasingVulnerable 28 August 2019Painted MaskrayNeotrygon leylandiStableLeast Concern28 November 2024Pearl WhiprayFontitrygon margaritellaDecreasing Near Threatened 04 August 2020Roughback WhiprayFluvitrygon kittipongiDecreasing Endangered22 January 2021Longtail StingrayHypanus longusDecreasing Vulnerable 08 February 2019Atlantic StingrayHypanus sabinusDecreasingLeast Concern21 June 2019Yantai StingrayHemitrygon laevigataDecreasing Vulnerable 29 August 2019Javan WhiprayBrevitrygon javaensisDecreasing StingrayEndangered 06 May 2020Mahogany MaskrayNeotrygon varidensStableLeast Concern20 May 2020 Sandwich-tail WhiprayBrevitrygon manjajiaeDecreasingNear Threatened 15 January 2024Baraka's WhiprayMaculabatis ambiguaDecreasing Near Threatened24 April 2018Whitespotted WhiprayMaculabatis gerrardiDecreasing Endangered06 May 2020Speckled MaskrayNeotrygon pictaUnknownLeast Concern24 August 2015Smalleye StingrayMegatrygon micropsUnknownData Deficent 30 March 2023Chinese StingrayHemitrygon sinensisDecreasing Endangered29 August 2019Tortonese's StingrayDasyatis tortoneseiUnknownData Deficent 04 August 2020Marbled StingrayDasyatis marmorataDecreasingNear Threatened04 August 2020Coral Sea MaskrayNeotrygon trigonoidesStableLeast Concern19 October 2020Indonesian Sharpnose RayTelatrygon biasaDecreasing Vulnerable 20 May 2020Mumburarr WhiprayUrogymnus acanthobothriumUnknownData Deficient 22 April 2021Hortle's WhiprayPateobatis hortleiDecreasingNear Threatened02 February 2021Daisy WhiprayFontitrygon margaritaDecreasingVulnerable 04 August 2020Merauke StingrayHemitrygon longicaudaDecreasing Near Threatened 21 September 2020Dwarf WhiprayBrevitrygon heteruraDecreasingVulnerable 12 May 2020Bleeker's WhiprayPateobatis bleekeriDecreasing Endangered29 April 2020Bluespotted MaskrayNeotrygon caeruleopunctataStableLeast Concern30 September 2020Smalltooth StingrayHypanus rudisDecreasing Critically Endangered04 August 2020Pink WhiprayPateobatis faiDecreasingVulnerable24 July 2023Ningaloo WhiprayNeotrygon ningalooensisStableLeast Concern28 November 2024Heins' StingrayHemitrygon yemenensisUnknownData Deficient 23 September 2020Starrynose Cowtail RayPastinachus stellurostrisDecreasingCritically Endangered19 May 2020Arabian Banded WhiprayMaculabatis randalliStableLeast Concern08 February 2017Plain MaskrayNeotrygon annotataDecreasingNear Threatened24 August 2024Tubemouth WhiprayUrogymnus lobistomaDecreasingEndangered20 May 2020Whitenose WhiprayPateobatis uarnacoidesDecreasingEndangered13 May 2020Brown StingrayBathytoshia lataDecreasing Vulnerable 04 August 2020Australian Bluespotted MaskrayNeotrygon australiaeDecreasing Near Threatened 15 November 2020Sharpnose WhiprayMaculabatis macruraDecreasing Endangered06 May 2020Pakistan WhiprayMaculabatis arabicaDecreasing Critically Endangered08 February 2017Shorttail WhiprayMaculabatis bineeshiDecreasingCritically Endangered21 May 2020Oriental Bluespotted MaskrayNeotrygon orientalisStableLeast Concern20 May 2020Chindwin Cowtail RayMakararaja chindwinensisUnknownData Deficient 25 January 2021Japanese Bluespotted MaskrayNeotrygon yakkoeiDecreasing Near Threatened 27 August 2024Smooth StingrayBathytoshia brevicaudataStableLeast Concern27 November 2020Blackfish StingrayHemitrygon navarraeDecreasing Vulnerable 29 April 2020Dwarf Black StingrayHemitrygon parvonigraDecreasing Vulnerable 06 October 2024Mekong StingrayHemitrygon laosensisDecreasing Endangered 25 January 2021Scaly WhiprayBrevitrygon walgaDecreasing Near Threatened 09 February 2017Izu StingrayHemitrygon izuensisDecreasing Vulnerable 27 August 2019Freshwater WhiprayUrogymnus dalyensisStableLeast Concern21 December 2024Indian Sharpnose RayTelatrygon crozieriDecreasing Endangered12 May 2020Red StingrayHemitrygon akajeiDecreasing Near Threatened 27 August 2019Narrow Cowtail RayPastinachus gracilicaudusDecreasing Endangered 19 May 2020Australian WhiprayHimantura australisStableLeast Concern 09 February 2021Bluespotted Lagoon RayTaeniura lymmaIncreasing Least Concern 01 September 2020Kuhl's MaskrayNeotrygon kuhliiUnknownData Deficient 22 June 2017Estuary StingrayHemitrygon fluviorumDecreasing Vulnerable 17 April 2024Lutz's StingrayHypanus berthalutzaeDecreasing Vulnerable08 August 2020Sharpnose RayTelatrygon acutirostraDecreasing Vulnerable 27 August 2019Round WhiprayMaculabatis pastinacoidesDecreasing Endangered 20 May 2020Pale-edge Sharpnose RayTelatrygon zugeiDecreasing Vulnerable 28 August 2019Cowtail RayPastinachus sephenDecreasing Near Threatened 07 February 2017Southern StingrayHypanus americanusDecreasing Near Threatened 21 June 2019Smooth StingrayFontitrygon garouaensisDecreasing Critically Endangered04 August 2020Roughnose Cowtail RayPastinachus solocirostrisDecreasing Endangered27 May 2020Oceania Fantail RayTaeniura lessoniUnknown Data Deficient 22 June 2017Colares StingrayFontitrygon colarensisDecreasing Critically Endangered01 July 2019Pelagic StingrayPteroplatytrygon violaceaUnknownLeast Concern09 November 2018Blotched Fantail RayTaeniurops meyeniDecreasing Vulnerable 24 July 2023Large-eye StingrayHypanus marianaeDecreasing Endangered01 July 2019Jenkin's WhiprayPateobatis jenkinsiiDecreasing Endangered24 July 2023Wingfin StingrayFontitrygon geijskesiDecreasingCritically Endangered01 July 2019Longnose StingrayHypanus guttatusDecreasing Near Threatened21 June 2019Thorny WhiprayFontitrygon ukpamDecreasingCritically Endangered04 August 2020Round StingrayTaeniurops grabatusDecreasingNear Threatened 04 August 2020Blackspotted WhiprayMaculabatis astraDecreasingNear Threatened10 March 2024Marbled WhiprayFluvitrygon oxyrhynchusDecreasingEndangered22 January 2021Mangrove WhiprayUrogymnus granulatusDecreasingEndangered24 July 2023Honeycomb WhiprayHimantura undulataDecreasingEndangered06 May 2020Broad Cowtail Ray Pastinachus aterDecreasingVulnerable 19 May 2020
Phylogeny
See also List of fish families References