Himantura granulata (*) Cladus: Eukaryota Vernacular names ----------- The mangrove whipray, Himantura granulata, is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It appears to be widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, having been reported from Papua New Guinea, the Santa Cruz Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Maldives, northwestern Australia, and Indonesia.[1] This species is known from tropical marine and brackish habitats to a depth of 85 meters (280 ft).[2] Despite its common name, the mangrove whipray is not usually found in mangroves, being more commonly encountered in clear-water lagoons over sand and rubble, near coral reefs.[1] The name of mangrove whipray (or stingray) comes from the holotype described by Macleay, an immature female specimen caught near mangroves off Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. In 1993, this species was re-described on the basis of adult specimens by Ishihara et al., wherein they also proposed a new, less misleading common name, white-tailed stingray (or whipray).[1] The mangrove whipray feeds on small, benthic bony fishes such as gobies, blennies, wrasses, and damselfishes, as well as invertebrates such as peanut worms, crabs, and octopuses.[1] It is capable of locating buried prey using its electroreceptive ampullae of Lorenzini, which have a sensitivity of 4 nV/cm and an effective range of 25 cm (10 in).[3] Like other stingrays, the mangrove whipray is ovoviviparous, with late-stage embryos sustained by histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother. It is caught infrequently by demersal tangle net and trawl fisheries, and utilized for meat, skin, and cartilage.[2] References 1. ^ a b c d e Ishihara, H., Homma, K., Takeda, Y. and Randall, J.E. (1993). "Redescription, distribution and food habits of the Indo-Pacific dasyatidid stingray Himantura granulata". Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 40 (1): 23–28.
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