Hemitrygon akajei (Müller & Henle, 1841)
Whip stingray
Hemitrygon akajei
photo by CAFS

Family:  Dasyatidae (Stingrays), subfamily: Dasyatinae
Max. size:  200 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 11 kg
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 10 - 50 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Northwest Pacific: central China to northern Japan.
Diagnosis:  Disc rhomboid, anterior margin straight, posterior margin convex. Snout triangular and slightly produced. dorsal keel present on tail. Adults with small spines on disc and posterior part of tail. Brown dorsally and some with orangish pectoral fin margins, in front of eyes, behind spiracles, on the sides of the tail just anterior to the sting. Ventrum orangish red.
Biology:  Found in coral reefs and estuarine areas, on sand and mud bottoms (Ref. 12951, 11230). Feeds on small fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 9840). Ovoviviparous with litters of only 1 pup (Ref. 114953) while earlier estimates indicated production of up to 10 in a litter (Ref. 12951). Caught occasionally by bottom trawl fisheries operating inshore. Utilized for its meat but of limited value due to its small size (Ref.58048). Served in 'miso' soup, hard boiled with seasonings, or for 'kamaboko' material (Ref. 637).
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT); Date assessed: 27 August 2019 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  venomous


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