The round whipray (''Maculabatis pastinacoides'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...

within the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Dasyatidae. Populations of round whipray are primarily located in the

Malay Archipelago The Malay Archipelago (Indonesian/Malay: , tgl, Kapuluang Malay) is the archipelago between mainland Indochina and Australia. It has also been called the " Malay world," "Nusantara", "East Indies", Indo-Australian Archipelago, Spices Archipe ...

, more specifically, parts of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. There is also the possibility this species of stingray exists in areas of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well.Sherman, C.S., Bin Ali, A., Bineesh, K.K., Derrick, D., Dharmadi, Fahmi, Fernando, D., Haque, A.B., Maung, A., Seyha, L., Tanay, D., Utzurrum, J.A.T., Vo, V.Q. & Yuneni, R.R. 2020. ''Maculabatis pastinacoides''. ''The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species'' 2020: e.T161540A124503092. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T161540A124503092.en. Accessed on 27 April 2024. In 2004, the round whipray was assessed by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(IUCN)

Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

and determined to be a

vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...

.Manjaji Matsumoto, B.M., Last, P.R., Fahmi & White, W.T. 2016. ''Maculabatis pastinacoides''. ''The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species'' 2016: e.T161540A104190354. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T161540A104190354.en. Accessed on 27 April 2024. The most recent assessment in 2020 has determined this species to now be

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

. While there is no data accumulated to identify the population size of round whiprays specifically, data collected regarding similar whipray species from fisheries in the Malay Archipelago area, indicate a decline in the population of round whiprays.

Habitat

The round whipray prefers to live close to the floor in the

Indo-Pacific Ocean The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

. They can be found on surface waters all the way down to a maximum depth of .

Morphology and behavior

Round whiprays give birth to live young, with the size at birth of their offspring ranging from in disc width. Male round whiprays reach maturity once they are in disc width, whereas females are not considered mature until they are roughly in disc width. An adult round whipray can reportedly reach a maximum size of in disc width. Round whiprays reproduce by pairing with embrace. This species has the potential of reproducing only one pup per litter, with each generation of round whipray living for about 20 years.

Human intervention

Round whiprays are

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

in large- and small-scale fisheries. While there are no conservation efforts towards the preservation and or restoration of round whiprays, there are measures in place to limit large fisheries from over harvesting. This in turn could help round whiprays that are captured as a byproduct of fishing operations in the area have a chance to recover in their populations.

References

* Maculabatis Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker Fish described in 1852 {{batoid-stub