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Dasyatis sabina

(Atlantic Stingray)

Overview

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Family : Stingrays; Inhabits coastal waters , including estuaries and lagoons [1]. Ascends rivers [1]. Feeds on tube anemones, polychaete worms, small crustaceans, clams, and serpent stars[1]. Ovoviviparous[2].

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Chinese:

大西洋魟

Common Names in Danish:

Florida-Pigrokke

Common Names in Dutch:

Atlantische Pijlstaartrog

Common Names in English:

Atlantic Stingray

Common Names in Finnish:

Atlantinkeihäsrausku, Atlantinkeihäsrausku

Common Names in French:

Raie

Common Names in Mandarin Chinese:

大西洋魟, 大西洋魟

Common Names in Russian:

Floridskiy Khostokol

Common Names in Spanish:

Raya Enana, Raya Hocicona, Raya Látigo De Espina

Description

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Family Dasyatidae

Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Chiefly marine ; also in brackish and freshwater . Side of head continuous with the anterior margin of pectoral fin. Respire by drawing water through a small hole behind the eye and expelling it through gill slits on the underside of the disc. Dorsal fin totally absent or indistinct, when present. Disc about 1.2 times as broad as long. No caudal fin. Tail long and whip-like. Most species with at least 1 long venomous spine on tail, which can cause excruciating pain to humans. Largest species to about 4 m length or width . Live-bearing (ovoviviparous) with fully developed young. (=Trygonidae).The family Dasyatidae belongs to the Class Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) and the Order Rajiformes. It contains 9 genera and 70 species. It may be found in Marine, Brackish, and Freshwater environments and is primarily Marine. Reproductively, most members of this family are bearers. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is rajiform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be normal. Members of this family have been dated back to the Cretaceous period. This family may be found from 60° n to 50° s and 125° w to 178° e. Etymology of this family name : Greek, dasys = hair

Physical Description

Species Dasyatis sabina

Distinctive Features: This stingray is one of the smallest rays in the family Dasyatidae. The flattened pectoral fins of the disc are continuous and extend anterior to the head and posterior to the pelvic region. Unlike most rays, the snout is elongated. The head is slightly elevated and contains spiracles that enable the ray to take in water dorsally while lying on the seabed. The gills , which expel the water, are located ventrally. The disc is approximately 1.1 times as broad as it is long. The tail is long and tapered, oval in the cross section , and extends behind the body like a whip . Dorsal and ventral tail folds are present. The dorsal fold is located posterior to the tail spine. For additional assistance in identification , see the Coastal Western North Atlantic Stingray Identification Key.

The tail spines of stingrays are thought to be modified scales , tapering to a sharp point with retrorse serations along the lateral margins . Venom is produced along two narrow grooves on both the dorsal and ventral sides. At full length , the Atlantic stingray’s tail spine is approximately 25% of its disc width, with females having longer tail spines than males. The distance between the outer margins of the eye orbits is about the same length as the tail spine. The spine is generally round but slightly flattened dorso-ventrally to a breadth of 4-5% its length. A study has shown that freshwater rays replace spines on an annual basis, usually between the months of June and October.

As with all elasmobranchs, males have two claspers , paired modifications of the pelvic fins, used in reproduction . Claspers funnel the sperm from the male to the female during the internal fertilization process .

Dentition: Stingrays have multiple rows of rounded teeth that have flat, blunt surfaces. The teeth of the upper jaw are largest midway along the jaw line and decrease towards the outer corners. The lower jaw has teeth of uniform size throughout. As the Atlantic stingray enters the breeding season male teeth begin to form long, slender cusps that curve toward the corners of the mouth . This enables the male to maintain an adequate hold on the female during copulation .

Denticles : Dermal denticles , characteristic of elasmobranchs, are less developed in Myliobatiformes. As the ray grows tubercles , modified scales that slope anteriorly and point posteriorly, form sporadically on the disc. These tubercles first appear across the pectoral girdle and eventually extend along the mid-line from the nuchal region to anterior of the tail spine. Post-juvenile individuals develop concentrations of flattened tubercles between the eye orbits that extend anteriorly from the eyes and posteriorly past the spiracles. Larger females may also have tubercles that occur on the outer margins of eye orbits and spiracles. These tubercles are apparently absent in males. The ventral surface is smooth in both sexes.

Color:

The Atlantic stingray is brown or yellowish brown dorsally , becoming lighter toward the disc margin , and white or light gray ventrally. The dorsal tail fold is yellowish brown while the ventral tail fold is buff. Tail coloration generally follows that of the body. However, in larger specimens the ventral portion of the tail may be flecked with gray anteriorly, and completely dark posteriorly.

Size/Age/Growth

Stingrays in Florida coastal lagoons reportedly reach a maximum disc width of 12.8 inches (32.6 cm) for males and 14.6 inches (37 cm) for females. Males mature around 7.9 inches (20 cm) disc width with females maturing at 9.4 inches (24 cm) disc width. In Freshwater populations females mature at 8.7 inches (22 cm) disc width and males mature at 8.3 inches (21 cm) disc width. Males are commonly 27 cm (Width of Disc) in length when caught/marketed, but may be as large as 61 cm (Width of Disc).

Habitat

This stingray prefers warm coastal and estuarine waters above 59° F (15° C) and can endure temperatures above 86° F (30° C). Temperature induced seasonal migrations have been observed throughout its range . The Atlantic stingray is found in the Chesapeake Bay , its northernmost range, during the summer and fall when the water temperature is warmest. Between October and November it moves south to warmer waters. In other areas, rays migrate from shallow to deeper waters where the water is above 59° F (15° C) during the winter months.

While inshore , the Atlantic stingray generally occurs in shallow waters at depths of 6.5-20 feet (2-6m). During its seasonal offshore migration, it is rarely located in water deeper than 80 feet (25m). This fish prefers habitats with a sand or silt/sand seabed, which allows the stingray to bury itself to hide from prey or predators .

This stingray is euryhaline and can maintain adequate physiological functions at varying degrees of salinity . Stingrays found in the St . Johns River system , Florida, represent the only permanent fresh water population of an elasmobranch in North America.

Typically found in water with a depth of -21 to 0 meters (-69 to 0 feet).[3]

Biome: Fresh water , brackish water, saltwater . Demersal .

Ecology: This species is typically found in coastal and estuarine waters as well as freshwater lakes in central Florida. This ray is also found in the Mississippi river (USA) and Lake Pontchartran (Louisiana, USA) (McEachran and Fechhelm 1998). Coastal populations of D. Sabina seem to prefer sandy substrates (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953) and are not typically seen at depths greater than 25 m (Funicelli 1975). Aplacental viviparous with mean range of litter size of 2.3 to 2.6 and a gestation period of four months (Snelson et al. 1988, Johnson and Snelson 1996).

Life history parameters
Age at maturity (years): Unknown.
Size at maturity (disc width ): Female: Coastal Florida: 23–25 cm DW (Snelson et al. 1988), St . Johns River: 22 cm DW (Johnson and Snelson 1996); Male: Coastal Florida: 20 cm DW (Snelson et al. 1988), St. Johns River: 21 cm DW (Johnson and Snelson 1996).
Longevity (years): Unknown.
Maximum size (disc width): Female: 45 cm DW (Lewis 1982); Male: 33 cm DW (Snelson et al. 1988).
Size at birth: Coastal Florida: 10 to 13 cm DW; St. Johns River: 10 cm DW.
Average reproductive age (years): Unknown.
Gestation time: 4 months (Snelson et al. 1988).
Reproductive periodicity: Unknown.
Average annual fecundity or litter size: Mean range 2.3 to 2.6 (Johnson and Snelson 1996).
Annual rate of population increase: Unknown.
Natural mortality: Unknown.[4]


List of Habitats :5.1Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls ) 5.5Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) 9.1Marine Neritic - Pelagic 9.9Marine Neritic - Seagrass (Submerged) 9.10Marine Neritic - Estuaries 13.4Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes 15.9Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels , Ditches

Biology

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Diet

Dietary items differ depending on the geographical location of the population. However, prey typically consists of benthic invertebrates such as bivalves , tube anemones, amphipods , crustaceans, clams, and nereid worms. Atlantic stingrays are highly electroreceptive fish. They have rows of sensory cells call "Ampullae of Lorenzini" that are able to detect weak electric fields generated by prey items. The stingray can use this sense to locate prey buried in the sand . Scientist also believe that male stingrays may use this sense to locate buried females during the mating season .

Reproduction

Florida populations exhibit an annual protracted mating season beginning in October or November and ending in April. However, ovulation does not occur until late March or early April. During courtship , the male closely follows the female, biting at her body and fins . The male grasps the pectoral fins of the female with his teeth to assist in copulation .

Development of the embryos occurs through aplacental viviparity. When the yolk sac is absorbed, around day 60 of gestation , nourishment is provided through uterine milk from maternal secretions rather than via a placenta. Parturition occurs in late July-early August with the birth of 1-4 young.

Behavior

Predators:

A multitude of shark species, particularly inshore species such as the white, tiger , and bull sharks , are the major predators of the Atlantic stingray. Fresh water populations are thought to be preyed upon by alligators.

Parasites:

Freshwater populations are known to be parasitized by Argulus sp. , a fish louse, which appears to feed on the skin mucous of the Atlantic stingray.

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Ammocoetes aepyptera Abbott, 1860
  2. Lethenteron meridionale Vladykov, Kott & Pharand-Coad, 1975
  3. Trygon sabina Lesueur, 1824

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Dasyatis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 96 species and subspecies in this genus:

D. acutirostra (Sharpnose Stingray) · D. africana · D. akajei (Japanese Red Stingray) · D. alcockii · D. altavela · D. americana (Southern Stingray) · D. annotata (Brown Stingray) · D. aspera · D. atratus · D. bennetti (Bennett´s Sharpnose Puffer) · D. bennettii · D. bleekeri · D. brevicaudata (Smooth Short-Tailed Stingray) · D. brevicaudatus · D. brevis (Whip-Tailed Stingray) · D. canariensis · D. cavernosa · D. centroura (Rough-Tailed Northern Stingray) · D. centrura · D. chrysonota (South African Blue Stingray) · D. chrysonota chrysonota (South African Blue Stingray) · D. chrysonota marmorata (Marbled Stingray) · D. colarensis · D. commercensis · D. dipterura (Rat-Tailed Stingray) · D. dipterurus · D. duponti · Himantura undulata · D. fluviorum (Estuary Stingaree) · D. garouaensis (Smooth Freshwater Stingray) · D. geijskesi (Sharpsnout Stingray) · D. gigantea (Giant Stumptail Stingray) · D. granulatus · D. gruveli · D. guttata (Longnose Stingray) · D. guttatus · D. gymnura · D. hastata · D. hastatus · D. heterurus · D. hypostigma · D. izuensis (Izu Stingray) · D. jaekeli · D. krempfi · D. kuhli · D. kuhlii (Blue Spotted Sting Ray) · D. laevigata (Yantai Stingray) · D. laosensis (Mekong Freshwater Stingray) · D. lata · D. latus (Brown Stingray) · D. leylandi (Brown-Reticulate Stingray) · D. longa (Longtail Stingray) · D. longus · D. marianae · D. margarita (Guinean Stingray) · D. margaritella (Pearl Stingray) · D. marginatus · D. marianae (Brazilian Large-Eyed Stingray) · D. marmorata (Marbled Stingray) · D. matsubarai (Pitted Stingray) · D. microps (Thickspine Giant Stingray) · Gymnura poecilura · D. multispinosa (Multispine Giant Stingray) · D. navarrae (Blackish Stingray) · D. pastinaca (Common Stingray) · D. pastinacea · D. pastinacoides · D. pastinacus · D. ponapensis · D. puercensis · D. purpurea · D. purpureus · D. rudis (Smalltooth Stingray) · D. rugosa · D. sabina (Atlantic Stingray) · D. sabinus · D. say (Bluntnose Stingray) · D. sayi · D. scabrata · D. schmardae · D. schreineri · D. sciera · D. sephen · D. sinensis (Chinese Stingray) · D. speetonensis · D. spp · D. thetidis (Longtail Black Stingray) · D. tortonesei (Tortonese's Stingray) · D. uarnacoides · D. uarnak · D. ujo · D. ushiei (Cow Stingray) · D. varidens · D. violacea · D. walga · D. zugei (Pale-Edged Stingray)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Michael, S.W. (1993). Reef sharks and rays of the world. A guide to their identification, behavior, and ecology. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California. 107 p. [back]
  2. Dulvy, N.K. and J.D. Reynolds (1997). Evolutionary transitions among egg-laying, live-bearing and maternal inputs in sharks and rays. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 264:1309-1315. [back]
  3. Mean = -6.060 meters (-19.882 feet), Standard Deviation = 13.190 based on 16 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
  4. Piercy, A., Snelson Jr., F.F. & Grubbs, R.D. 2006. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008. [back]
Last Revised: August 12, 2009