Roughtail stingray

Roughtail stingray
Roughtail stingray (Bathytoshia centroura) at McGrail Bank, Gulf of Mexico
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Subfamily: Dasyatinae
Genus: Bathytoshia
Species:
B. centroura
Binomial name
Bathytoshia centroura
(Mitchill, 1815)
Range of the roughtail stingray before reclassification of the eastern Atlantic population
Synonyms[2]
  • Dasyatis aspera (Cuvier, 1816)
  • Dasyatis centroura (Mitchill, 1815)
  • Dasybatus marinus Garman, 1913
  • Pastinaca acanthura Gronow, 1854
  • Pastinaca aspera Cuvier, 1816
  • Raia gesneri Cuvier, 1829
  • Raja centroura Mitchill, 1815
  • Trygon aldrovandi Risso, 1827
  • Trygon brucco Bonaparte, 1834
  • Trygon centrura (Mitchill, 1815)
  • Trygon spinosissima Duméril, 1865
  • Trygon thalassia Müller & Henle, 1841

The roughtail stingray (Bathytoshia centroura) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, with separate populations in coastal waters of the northwestern and southwestern Atlantic Ocean. This bottom-dwelling species typically inhabits sandy or muddy areas with patches of invertebrate cover, at a depth of 15–50 m (49–164 ft). It is seasonally migratory, overwintering in offshore waters and moving into coastal habitats for summer. The largest whip-tail stingray in the Atlantic,[3] the roughtail stingray grows up to 2.6 m (8.5 ft) across and 360 kg (800 lb) in weight. It is plain in color, with an angular, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc and a long, whip-like tail bearing a subtle fin fold underneath. The many thorns on its back and tail serve to distinguish it from other stingrays that share its range.

Often found lying on the bottom buried in sediment, the roughtail stingray is a generalist predator that feeds on a variety of benthic invertebrates and bony fishes. It is aplacental viviparous, with the embryos receiving nourishment initially from yolk, and later from histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother. The venomous tail spine of the roughtail stingray is potentially dangerous to humans. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species as vulnerable overall.

  1. ^ Carlson, J.; Charvet, P.; Avalos, C.; Briones Bell-lloch, A.; Cardenosa, D.; Espinoza, E.; Herman, K.; Morales-Saldaña, J.M.; Naranjo-Elizondo, B.; Pacoureau, N.; Pilar Blasco, M.; Pérez Jiménez, J.C.; Schneider, E.V.C.; Simpson, N.J.; Talwar, B.S. (2020). "Bathytoshia centroura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T104065040A3122808. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T104065040A3122808.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Bailly, Nicolas (2017). "Bathytoshia centroura (Mitchill, 1815)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference eagle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).