A whipray of considerable size characterized by a rhomboidal-shaped disc with narrowly rounded tips. The snout is broadly triangular, culminating in a small tip. The tail is exceptionally slender, elongated, and whip-like beyond the sting, lacking cutaneous folds. The disc's surface typically exhibits a paler greenish-grey or greyish-brown hue with numerous white spots towards the rear, although in some cases, it may be plain. Additionally, the tail is banded beyond the sting.

Biology

Length: Males achieve a maximum size of 116 cm disc width (DW), females reach a maximum size of 63 cm DW, while the size at birth ranges from 13 to 21 cm DW.

Gestation period: Unknown

Littter size: Reproduction is viviparous with litter sizes of 2–4 pups 

Life Expectancy: According to Jacobsen and Bennett (2010), female Blackspotted Whipray have a maximum age of 29 years, an age-at-maturity of nine years, and a generation length of 19 years. The generation duration was adjusted to 25 years because the Blackspotted Whipray has a lesser maximum size (80 cm DW) than the Whitespotted Whipray (116 cm DW).

Diet:  Feeds on bottom crustaceans including shrimp, crabs and small lobsters

Habitat and Distribution

Habitat: The Whitespotted Whipray occurs inshore on soft substrates down to depths of at least 60 m.

Distribution: The Indo-Pacific region is home to the Whitespotted Whipray, which ranges from the Arabian/Persian Gulf to Taiwan and includes Indonesia and the Southeast Philippines.

Known landing centres: Royapuram Fishing Harbour, Cuddalore Fishing Harbour, Nagapattinam Fishing Harbour, Junglighat, Burmanallah, Wandoor, Dignabad, Malvan, Cochin Fisheries Harbour, Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam, Vodarevu, Pakala, Malvan, Veraval, Mangrol, Porbander and Okha.

Depth: 0-60 m

Commercial Value

The individuals landed as bycatch are sold in the local market for consumption

Threats

Intense fishing pressure, caught as bycatch using inshore fishing gear (beach seine, gillnet, purse seine, benthic longline, trawl etc).

References

• Last, P.R., W.T. White, M.R. de Carvalho, B. Séret, M.F.W. Stehmann and G.J.P. Naylor, 2016. Rays of the world. CSIRO Publishing, Comstock Publishing Associates. i-ix + 1-790. (Ref. 114953)