Myliobatis australis
Eagle ray
Myliobatis australis, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Tom DavisSimilar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
The upper surface has numerous blue spots and crescents arranged in a regular pattern across an olive-green background. Eagle rays are sometimes seen foraging across estuarine sandflats for crabs and molluscs in water so shallow that the wings protrude above the water surface.
Information
Max Size: 120 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 12.1-23.8°C
Depth: 0-85m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
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: Least Concern
Occurrence: Infrequent (6.3% 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: Few (2 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