Common
English Names: Common stingaree.
Other Names:
扁魟
China
Mandarin Chinese
瓦鷂扁魟
China
Mandarin Chinese
瓦鹞扁魟
China
Mandarin Chinese
Gewone doornrog
Netherlands
Dutch
Latin Name: Trygonoptera
testacea
Family:
Urolophidae
Identification:
Disc slightly rhomboid. Snout rounded. Body marginally wider than long.
Tail about as long as disc. Dorsum varies from uniformly light brown
to almost black. Some individuals are reported to have black and white tails. Small
dorsal fin in front of tail spines. Well developed upper and lower caudal
finfolds.
Size:
Maximum
length approx 92cm.
Habitat:
Intertidal zone to 130m.
The common stingaree is usually found on sand or mud bottoms. Often
near reefs, in bays and in estuaries.
Abundance
and distribution: Eastern
Australia; from southern Queensland to South Australia.
Behavior: Forages in sand and
mud for crustaceans and worms. Also eats bony fishes and other stingarees.
Reproduction:
Ovoviviparous.
Photographs:
Southwest Rocks, NSW and Merimbula,
NSW.
Similar
species: The Common Stingaree
shares its range with a number of other species including the Sparsely Spotted
Stingaree (T.paucimaculatus), the Crossback Stingaree (U.cruciatus)
and the undescribed Banded Stingaree (Trygonoptera sp.). All can be
identified by the features that give them their common names.
Reaction
to divers: Sometimes easy to
approach with slow movements but once startled, remains aloof.
Diving
logistics: This is one of the most
common species
encountered by divers in NSW. Any shallow sandy area should yield a few Common
Stingarees. The shore dive off of the beach at Southwest Rocks was particularly
productive for this species.
Other
diving locations submitted by readers:
References
and further reading:
Sharks and Rays of Australia. Peter Last. CSIRO.
Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. Scott
Michael.
Sharks and Rays - Elasmobranch Guide of the World. Ralf M. Hennemann. IKAN.
