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Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Myliobatiformes (Stingrays) > Gymnuridae (Butterfly rays)
Etymology: Gymnura: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Bloch & Schneider.

Issue
Species complex include Gymnura lessae and Gymnura sereti; distribution of and both species were included for Gymnura micrura. Distribution will be corrected.

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

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 55 m (Ref. 27549). Deep-water

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southwestern Atlantic: Venezuela, including Trinidad and Tobago, to Brazil (Rio de Janeiro).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 35.0, range 34 - 50 cm
Max length : 137 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 4439); common length : 90.0 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 0.00 g

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Broad, diamond-shaped ray with a very short tail lacking a dorsal spine (Ref. 26938). Snout protruding. Front edges of disk concave. Tail with low dorsal and ventral finfolds and 3 - 4 dark crossbars (Ref. 7251). Upper surface gray, brown, light green or purple with round spots. Lower surface white (Ref. 6902).

Prefers neritic waters of the continental shelf and usually found on soft bottoms. May enter brackish estuaries or hyper-saline lagoons (Ref. 5217). Feeds on fish and shrimps (Ref. 28587); other crustaceans and clams (Ref. 27549). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Generally marketed salted (Ref. 5217).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

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).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McEachran, John | Collaborators

Yokota, L. and M.R. de Carvalho, 2017. Taxonomic and morphological revision of butterfly rays of Gymnura micrura (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) species complex, with the description of two new species (Myliobatiformes: Gymnuridae). Zootaxa 4332(1):1-74. (Ref. 116399)

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

Near Threatened (NT) (A2d); Date assessed: 19 September 2020

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 21.8 - 27.9, mean 25 °C (based on 544 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00513 (0.00314 - 0.00839), b=3.10 (2.95 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.53 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=3).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 7.1 [1.0, 38.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.314 [0.067, 0.935] mg/100g; Protein = 21.9 [18.4, 24.9] %; Omega3 = 0.234 [0.058, 0.711] g/100g; Selenium = 8.65 [2.29, 27.32] μg/100g; VitaminA = 6.06 [1.19, 29.85] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.395 [0.196, 0.738] mg/100g (wet weight);

Gymnura micrura (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)