Dwarf whipray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwarf whipray |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The dwarf whipray (also called the mangrove whipray) is a small type of stingray. It's a fish with cartilage instead of bones, belonging to the Dasyatidae family. This ray lives near the bottom of the ocean, on the continental and island shelves of the western central Pacific Ocean. People fish for it a lot in these areas. Because of this, the IUCN says it is "near-threatened", meaning it could become endangered soon.
Contents
What Does the Dwarf Whipray Look Like?
The dwarf whipray is a small ray. It can grow up to 45 cm (18 in) long. Its body, called a disc, is usually about 24 cm (9 in) wide. The disc is shaped like an oval, with a snout that is a bit blunt or rounded.
Its Tail and Spines
The ray has a long, thin tail, like a whip. This tail is longer than its body. Unlike some other rays, it doesn't have a skin fold on its tail. Female dwarf whiprays have shorter tails than males, and their tails have a round tip. Both male and female rays have four to six sharp, venomous spines at the base of their tail. These spines can stand up if the ray feels threatened.
Color and Appearance
The dwarf whipray is usually a plain pinkish or beige color. In cloudy water, it can sometimes be mistaken for a horseshoe crab because of its shape and color.
Where Does the Dwarf Whipray Live?
The dwarf whipray lives in the western central Pacific Ocean. You can find it from countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, all the way to Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It has also been reported in India, but it might have been confused with another ray there, the scaly whipray (Brevitrygon imbricata).
Its Home in the Ocean
This ray likes to live close to the sandy bottom of the ocean. It stays on the inner part of the continental shelf, which is the shallow area of the ocean floor near land. It usually lives in water less than 50 m (164 ft) deep.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The dwarf whipray becomes an adult when it is about 17 cm (7 in) long. When it's time to mate, the male ray holds onto the female. They press their undersides together.
How Baby Rays Are Born
This fish is viviparous, which means it gives birth to live young, just like mammals. The female usually has one or two babies at a time. We don't know exactly how long the mother is pregnant. Before they are born, the baby rays get food from a special liquid made by the mother's womb. This process is called histotrophy.
Why Is This Ray Important to People?
People catch the dwarf whipray in many places where it lives. It's often caught by accident, which is called bycatch, when fishermen are trying to catch other types of fish.
Fishing Methods
Fishing for rays and skates is common in many areas. Fishermen often use large nets called trawls. They also use a special type of net called a trammel net. In a trammel net, fish get tangled in a fine net that is part of a larger three-layer net system. The dwarf whipray is eaten by people, but it's usually not the main fish they are trying to catch, probably because it's so small.
What Is the Dwarf Whipray's Status?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at how many dwarf whiprays there are. They have decided that the ray is "near-threatened".
Why It's Near-Threatened
The IUCN believes that a lot of fishing is happening in the areas where this ray lives. They think too many dwarf whiprays are being caught. It seems that there are fewer of these rays now, and the ones being caught are getting smaller. This means their numbers are going down, which is why they are considered near-threatened.
