Bathytoshia brevicaudata
Smooth stingray | Shorttail Stingray | Dasyatis brevicaudata
Similar Species
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Africa, Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Looks similar to another massive southern Australian ray, the black stingray Dasyatis thetidis, but has a series of small white spots across the flaps and lacks spines down the middle of the back. The smooth stingray is not aggressive but can be inquisitive, so should be treated with great caution as the large venomous spine on the tail can cause fatal wounds.
Information
Max Size: N/A cm
Sea Temperature Range: N/A
Depth: 0-100m
Habitat Generalization Index: 2.58
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Occurrence: Frequent (11.6% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney