Hortle's whipray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hortle's whipray |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pateobatis
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| Species: |
hortlei
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The Hortle's whipray (Pateobatis hortlei) is a type of stingray. It lives in shallow waters near southern New Guinea. You can find it in estuaries (where rivers meet the sea) and on mud flats.
This ray can grow up to about 71 centimeters (28 inches) wide. It has a body shaped like a heart, with a long, pointy nose and very small eyes. Its back has a wide band of rough skin, like tiny teeth, from its eyes to its tail. Its belly is a bright yellow color. Sometimes, it has darker spots around its nose, mouth, and gills.
The Hortle's whipray is facing threats. Big fishing nets often catch it by accident. Its home is also being damaged. Because of these problems, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says it is "Near Threatened." This means it could become endangered if things don't change.
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About the Hortle's Whipray Name
The Hortle's whipray was named after a person named Kent Hortle. He was a science expert who worked at the Freeport mine in Papua, Indonesia. Kent Hortle was the first to provide pictures and fresh samples of this ray to scientists.
Scientists Peter Last, Mabel Manjaji-Matsumoto, and Patricia Kailola officially described this species in 2006. They wrote about it in a science magazine called Zootaxa. A male ray, 71 centimeters (28 inches) wide, was used as the main example for the species. It was found in the Minajerwi River estuary.
Where the Hortle's Whipray Lives
The Hortle's whipray is only found near the southern part of Papua province. It might also live in nearby Papua New Guinea.
It likes to live in brackish water, which is a mix of fresh and salt water. You can find it in estuaries and on intertidal mud flats. These are muddy areas that are covered by water at high tide and exposed at low tide. It lives in water that is usually no deeper than 10 meters (33 feet).
What the Hortle's Whipray Looks Like
The body of the Hortle's whipray is shaped like a heart. It is a bit longer than it is wide. The front edges of its body curve inward and meet at a very long, narrow, triangle-shaped snout (nose).
Its eyes are tiny and set far apart. Right behind its eyes are two large, tear-shaped holes called spiracles. These help it breathe. Between its nostrils, it has a wide flap of skin with a finely fringed edge. Its mouth is strongly curved like a bow. It does not have small bumps (papillae) inside its mouth.
The ray's small, blunt teeth are packed closely together. They are arranged in a pattern like dots on a dice (quincunx). In adult rays, the teeth are orange to brown. It has 21 to 25 rows of teeth on its upper jaw and 24 to 28 rows on its lower jaw. Its five pairs of gill slits, which help it breathe, are shaped like the letter S.
Fins and Tail
Its pelvic fins are short and wide. The tail is very thin and is about 2.6 to 3.4 times longer than its body. The tail does not have any fin folds. It has one or two stinging spines on the top of its tail. These spines are about one-third of a body width back from where the tail starts.
Skin and Color
A wide band of flat, rough skin covers the top of its body. This band goes from in front of its eyes all the way to its tail. This rough skin is made of larger heart-shaped pieces and smaller, varied pieces. Small, sharp rough spots are scattered over its snout and are thickest at the tip. The part of the tail past the sting is completely covered in these rough spots.
Younger rays are greenish-gray on top. Older, larger rays are yellowish-brown. The tail is a solid brown color and is lighter in front of the sting. The underside of the ray is a bright, clear yellow. It has a thin dark border around the edge of its body. Sometimes, it has darker spots around its nostrils, mouth, and gill slits. The largest male ray found was 71 centimeters (28 inches) wide. The largest female ray found was 65 centimeters (26 inches) wide.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Not much is known about the daily life of the Hortle's whipray. Scientists believe it eats crustaceans (like crabs), molluscs (like snails), and small fish.
This ray gives birth to live young. The mother provides special "uterine milk" to her developing babies inside her body. The young rays are born when they are less than 20 centimeters (8 inches) wide.
How Humans Affect the Hortle's Whipray
Fishermen using large nets to catch prawns try to avoid the Hortle's whipray. However, they still often catch it by accident. This is called bycatch. The ray's meat is used, and possibly its skin and cartilage too.
This ray is also threatened because its home is being damaged. Large areas of mangrove forests, where it lives, are being destroyed. Heavy mining activity and river pollution also harm its habitat.
Even though the Hortle's whipray is still common in its small living area, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) thinks its numbers are going down. Because of this, they have listed it as "Near Threatened."
