Purple eagle ray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple eagle ray |
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The purple eagle ray (Myliobatis hamlyni) is a type of fish. It belongs to the eagle ray family, which are known for their flat bodies and wing-like fins. People once thought this ray lived only in Australia. But now we know it lives in many other places too.
This ray makes its home in the open ocean. It is found in different spots, not everywhere. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has checked on its numbers. They say it is "near-threatened". This means it could become endangered if we don't protect it.
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About the Purple Eagle Ray
The purple eagle ray was first described in 1911. An Australian fish expert named James Douglas Ogilby gave it its scientific name, Myliobatis hamlyni. He named it after his friend, Ronald Hamlyn-Harris. Ronald was an insect expert and led the Queensland Museum for a few years.
At first, scientists believed this eagle ray only lived in eastern Australia. Other similar rays in the area were thought to be the Japanese eagle ray. But in 2016, scientists looked at both types of rays more closely. They even studied their DNA. This showed that many rays found in Western Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan were actually purple eagle rays.
What Does the Purple Eagle Ray Look Like?
The purple eagle ray is a medium-sized ray. Its body, called a disc, is shaped like a diamond. Its pectoral fins are very big and look like wings. The front edge of these fins is mostly straight.
It has a thin, whip-like tail. At the base of its tail, there are one or two long stinging spines. The tail also has a special fold on its underside. This ray has seven rows of teeth in each jaw. The teeth in the middle row are the biggest.
An average adult ray has a disc-width of 540 mm (21 in). Its body length is about 200 mm (8 in). The tail can be around 250 mm (10 in) long. The biggest males found in Indonesia had a disc width of 800 mm (31 in). The largest females were 1,140 mm (45 in) wide. The top of the ray is a solid purplish-brown or greenish-brown color. It does not have any dark spots. Its underside is whitish.
Where Do Purple Eagle Rays Live?
This fish lives in the warm, tropical and subtropical parts of the western Pacific Ocean. We don't know its exact full range yet. But it includes places like Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Okinawa in Japan.
It is a deep-water fish. This means it lives far down in the ocean. It is not found everywhere, but in scattered areas. Fishermen rarely catch it with their fishing gear. Its home is the open sea. It prefers the outer edge of the continental shelf. It also lives on the upper part of the continental slope. These are areas where the land under the sea slopes down. It lives at depths between 117 and 330 m (400 and 1,100 ft).
Is the Purple Eagle Ray in Danger?
Fishing is the biggest danger to the purple eagle ray. In Australia and Taiwan, these rays are often caught by accident. But in Indonesia and other places, not many of these rays are caught. So, fishing does not affect them as much there.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has looked at how many purple eagle rays are left. They have decided that its conservation status is "near-threatened". This means it is not in immediate danger. But it could become threatened if we do not protect its habitat and control fishing.
See also
In Spanish: Myliobatis hamlyni para niños
