Pitted Stingray

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Common Names: Previously Pitted stingray. Now considered a northern population of Short-tail stingray

Scientific Name: Previously Dasyatis matsubarai but recently re-described as a northern population of Bathytoshia brevicaudata

Family: Dasyatidae.

Identification: The pitted stingray has a rhomboid disc with a mildly convex leading edge with a bluntly rounded snout. The trailing edges of its pectoral fins are more noticeably convex. The dorsal surface of the body disc is uniformly dark grey with a line of small white spots (small pores ringed in white) on each pectoral fin running diagonally from midway along the anterior margin to the base of the tail. In mature adults, a row of tubercles run along the snout, back and tail (anterior to the first tail spine).

Ventral surface of disc white with a distinctive W shaped groove posterior to 5th gill slit.

Upper surface of tail has 1-3 stinging spines. Ventral finfold on tail shallow and roughly half as long as disc length. When intact, tail terminates in a thin caudal filament.

Size: Maximum disc width 1.2m.

Habitat: Found from the surface to at least 60m. Generally caught between 40-60m. Demersal on sandy substrate but a specimen from the Sea of Japan was caught near the surface over 3000m of water suggesting that this species may be semi-pelagic in nature.

Abundance and Distribution: Restricted to the northwest Pacific. Relatively common around Honshu and Hokkaido Islands in Japan. Also recorded from South Korea and Vladivostok in western Russia.

Diet: Unknown. Presumably benthic invertebrates and small fishes.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous.

Conservation Status: Little historical catch data is available for the pitted stingray therefore it is listed as 'Data Deficient' by the IUCN at this time. However, this species is captured as bycatch in longline, coastal gillnet and set-net fisheries within its range. It is often captured by set-nets and, when caught, the species is retained, landed and marketed. Stingrays are among the dominant batoid components of landings in Japan, however, the relative importance of species on a regional basis is poorly known and species-specific landing data are virtually non-existent (H. Ishihara, pers. obs. 2007).

Photographs: Ito, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This specimen was released from fishing bycatch.

Similar species: There are two other species of stingrays caught around Honshu Island in the Sea of Japan. The red stingray Dasyatis akajei is the most common. It has a reddish brown dorsum with a more pointed snout than the pitted stingray and lacks white spots.

Reaction to divers: Not applicable.

Diving Logistics: The pitted stingray generally lives in water too deep for observation by scuba divers but it may be encountered by divers venturing onto the sand in deep water at dive sites on the south side of Honshu in Japan. Try contacting dive shops on the Izu and Chiba Peninsulas for more information.

References and Citations:

• Compagno, L.J.V., Ishihara, H., Tanaka, S. & Orlov, A. 2009. Dasyatis matsubarai. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>.

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