The ocellated eagle ray or the whitespotted eagle ray, ''Aetobatus ocellatus'', is a species of
cartilaginous fish
Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class that contains the cartilaginous fishes that have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fishes'', which have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue ...
in the eagle ray family
Myliobatidae. It is found in the tropical
Indo-West Pacific region. In the past it was included in the
spotted eagle ray
The spotted eagle ray (''Aetobatus narinari'') is a cartilaginous fish of the eagle ray family, Myliobatidae. As traditionally recognized, it is found globally in tropical regions, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Recent auth ...
(''A. narinari''), a species restricted to the Atlantic after the split.
[White, W.T., P.R. Last, G.J.P. Naylor, K. Jensen & J.N. Caira (2010). Clarification of Aetobatus ocellatus (Kuhl, 1823) as a valid species, and a comparison with Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) (Rajiformes: Myliobatidae). Pp. 141–164 in: Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Pogonoski, J.J., eds. (2010). Descriptions of new sharks and rays from Borneo. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper no. 32.]
Description and behavior
Compared to the spotted eagle ray, ''A. ocellatus'' has a longer tail (mean total length 281 vs. 263% DW) and a longer stinging spine (mean length 9.7 vs. 8.9% DW). The background coloration of the dorsal surface in ''A. ocellatus'' is dark greenish/greying to almost blackish whereas ''A. narinari'' is much paler, medium yellowish to brownish.
Their foraging range is based on anthropogenic noises with populations structured according to ontogenetic stage.
Reproduction
The ocellated eagle ray exhibits
ovoviviparity
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...
with embryos feeding on yolk initially, then receiving additional nutrients from the mother through indirect absorption of enriched uterine fluid. The gestation period lasts over 12 months and only produces a few pups.
Diet
The ocellated eagle ray feeds primarily on gastropod, bivalve molluscs, crustaceans, worms, octopuses and fishes.
[Randall, J.E. and Cea, A. (2011). Shore fishes of Easter Island. University of Hawai'i Press, 164 p.]
References
External links
*
*
Whitespotted Eagle Ray @ Fishes of Australia
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q5033530
Fish of the Indian Ocean
Fish of the Pacific Ocean
Marine fauna of East Africa
Marine fish of Northern Australia
Taxa named by Heinrich Kuhl
Fish described in 1823