Izu stingray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Izu stingray
Holotype
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Myliobatiformes
Family:	Dasyatidae
Genus:	Hemitrygon
Species:	H. izuensis
Binomial name
Hemitrygon izuensis (K. Nishida & Nakaya, 1988)
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The Izu stingray (Hemitrygon izuensis) is a type of stingray that lives only in one special place. This place is the Izu Peninsula in Japan. It is a small ray found in shallow ocean waters near the coast.

This stingray has a smooth, golden-brown body shaped like a diamond. Its tail is long and thin, like a whip. It has a small ridge on top and a fin-like fold underneath. This fin fold is white, which helps tell the Izu stingray apart from other stingrays in the Pacific Ocean.

Discovering the Izu Stingray

Scientists Kiyonori Nishida and Kazuhiro Nakaya first described the Izu stingray in 1988. They wrote about it in a science magazine called the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology. The ray's name, izuensis, comes from the Izu Peninsula. This is where the first ray studied, called the type specimen, was found. It was an adult male about 42 centimeters (16.5 inches) wide.

Where the Izu Stingray Lives

The Izu stingray lives only off the eastern coast of Honshū, Japan's main island. It prefers to stay close to the shore. This ray is a bottom-dwelling animal, meaning it lives on the ocean floor. You can find it in waters about 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet) deep.

What the Izu Stingray Looks Like

The biggest Izu stingray ever recorded was about 42 centimeters (16.5 inches) across. Its body is shaped like a diamond, a bit wider than it is long. The front edges are gently curved, and it has a blunt nose.

Its eyes are of medium size. Behind the eyes are large openings called spiracles. These help the ray breathe. Inside its mouth, there are special skin flaps. It has many rows of teeth, like a pavement. These teeth are blunt in females and young rays. But in adult males, they are a bit pointed. There are also five small, nipple-like bumps on the floor of its mouth.

The fins on its belly are wide and shaped like triangles. Its tail is thin and about as long as its body. On top of the tail, there is usually one (sometimes two) stinging spines. These spines have small grooves. The spine is about 6.8 cm (2.7 inches) long in males and 7.9 cm (3.1 inches) in females. It has many small teeth-like edges, called serrations.

Behind the spine, the tail has a small ridge on top. It also has a fin-like fold underneath. The skin of the Izu stingray is very smooth. Only the largest rays might have a few small bumps before the spine.

The top of the ray is golden brown. It gets darker between its eyes and on the back part of its tail. Its underside is white. The edges of its fins are darker. A special thing about the Izu stingray is its white fin fold under the tail. All other stingrays in the Pacific Ocean have a dark fin fold.

Its Life and Habits

Scientists do not know much about the daily life of the Izu stingray. We know it becomes an adult when its body is about 37 centimeters (14.5 inches) wide.

Protecting the Izu Stingray

Very few Izu stingrays have ever been caught and studied. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species as Vulnerable. This means it is at risk of becoming extinct.

The Izu stingray is vulnerable for a few reasons. It lives in a very small area. Also, it can get caught by accident in fishing nets. These nets are used by Japanese coastal fisheries to catch other fish. This accidental catching is called bycatch.