Pelagic stingray

Pelagic stingray
Pelagic stringray off the spanish coast in the Mediterranean Sea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Pteroplatytrygon
Fowler, 1910
Species:
P. violacea
Binomial name
Pteroplatytrygon violacea
(Bonaparte, 1832)
world map with light blue coloring throughout all three oceans extending into the temperate regions, and patches of dark blue along both sides of the Atlantic, along the Pacific coast of the Americas, in the Pacific from Japan to Australia, and around Australia and off the eastern coast of Africa
Confirmed (dark blue) and possible (light blue) range of the pelagic stingray
Synonyms
  • Dasyatis atratus Ishiyama & Okada, 1955
  • Dasyatis guileri Last, 1979
  • Trygon purpurea Müller & Henle, 1841
  • Trygon violacea Bonaparte, 1832

The pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, and the sole member of its genus. It is characterized by the wedge-like shape of its pectoral fin disc, which is much wider than long, as well as by the pointed teeth in both sexes, whip-like tail with extremely long tail spine, and uniform violet to blue-green coloration. It generally reaches 59 cm (23 in) in width. The pelagic stingray has a worldwide distribution in waters warmer than 19 °C (66 °F), and migrates seasonally to spend the summer closer to the continental shelf and at higher latitudes. The only stingray that almost exclusively inhabits the open ocean, this species is typically found in surface waters down to a depth of 100 m (330 ft). As a consequence of its midwater habits, its swimming style has evolved to feature more of a flapping motion of the pectoral fins, as opposed to the disc margin undulations used by other, bottom-dwelling stingrays.

The diet of the pelagic stingray consists of free-swimming invertebrates and bony fishes. It is an active hunter, using its pectoral fins to trap and move food to its mouth, and has been known to take advantage of seasonal feeding opportunities such as spawning squid. Like other stingrays, it is aplacental viviparous, meaning that the embryos are sustained initially by yolk and later by histotroph ("uterine milk"). With a short gestation period of 2–4 months, females may bear two litters of 4–13 pups per year. Birthing generally occurs in warm water near the equator, with the exception of the Mediterranean, with the timing varying between regions. Rarely encountered except by fishery workers, the pelagic stingray can inflict a severe, even fatal wound with its tail spine. This species is caught as bycatch throughout its range; it is of little economic value and usually discarded, often with high mortality. However, there is evidence that its numbers are increasing, perhaps owing to the heavy fishing of its natural predators and competitors (e.g., sharks). Along with the pelagic stingray's global distribution and prolific life history, this has led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to assess it as of Least Concern.

  1. ^ Kyne, P.M.; Barreto, R.; Carlson, J.; Fernando, D.; Francis, M.P.; Fordham, S.; Jabado, R.W.; Liu, K.M.; Marshall, A.; Pacoureau, N.; Romanov, E.; Sherley, R.B.; Winker, H. (2019). "Pteroplatytrygon violacea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T161731A896169. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T161731A896169.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.