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Urogymnus polylepis (Bleeker, 1852)

Giant freshwater whipray
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Urogymnus polylepis
Picture by Jean-Francois Helias / Fishing Adventures Thailand

Classification / Names Nombres comunes | Sinónimos | Catalog of Fishes(Género, Especie) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranquios (tiburones y rayas) (sharks and rays) > Myliobatiformes (Stingrays) > Dasyatidae (Stingrays) > Urogymninae
Etymology: Urogymnus: Greek, oura = tail + Greek, gymnos = naked (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bleeker.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecología

; agua dulce; salobre demersal; potamodromo (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 25°N - 20°S

Distribución Países | Áreas FAO | Ecosistemas | Ocurrencias, apariciones | Point map | Introducciones | Faunafri

Asia and Oceania: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins; also from eastern Borneo, New Guinea and northern Australia.

Length at first maturity / Tamaño / Peso / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 110 - ? cm
Max length : 240 cm WD macho / no sexado; (Ref. 27732); peso máximo publicado: 600.0 kg (Ref. 6871)

Short description Claves de identificación | Morfología | Morfometría

Espinas dorsales (total) : 0. Absence of ventral and dorsal skin folds on the tail, and the broad greyish to blackish marginal band on the ventral surface of the disc. The dorsal surface of the disc is brown (Ref. 27732). Spiral valve with 21 turns; dorsal surface with uniform brown or grey coloration (Ref. 12693). Lacking caudal fin; with long whip-like tail (Ref. 43281).

Biología     Glosario (por ej. epibenthic)

Inhabits sandy bottoms in estuaries and large rivers (Ref. 12693). Feeds on benthic invertebrates (Ref. 12693) and fishes (Ref. 32457). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Caught occasionally by demersal gillnet and longline fisheries operating in riverine and estuarine areas. Utilized for its meat and possibly its cartilage (Ref.58048). Marketed fresh, with large individuals being sold in cut pieces by the kilogram (Ref. 12693). Size reaches to about 500 cm TL. Threatened due to over harvesting and pollution (Ref. 58490).

Life cycle and mating behavior Madurez | Reproducción | Puesta | Huevos | Fecundidad | Larva

Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures (Ref. 50449). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205). Young are born at about 30 cm disc width (Ref. 6871).

Main reference Upload your references | Referencias | Coordinador : McEachran, John | Colaboradores

Rainboth, W.J., 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. FAO, Rome, 265 p. (Ref. 12693)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

  Endangered (EN) (A2bcd); Date assessed: 25 January 2021

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Venomous





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