The striped panray (''Zanobatus schoenleinii'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...
of
ray
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Zanobatidae. It was considered the only species in its genus and family until the description of the
maculate panray (''Z. maculatus'') in 2016.
The striped panray is found in the warm East Atlantic Ocean, ranging from
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
, through the
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in the ...
to
Angola
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, image_map =
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, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
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, coordina ...
.
[ It mainly occurs over sandy bottoms at depths of less than ,][ although there have been claims of individuals up to .][ Its upperparts are brownish with a distinct dark blotched and barred pattern. It resembles the maculate panray, but that species is only known from the Gulf of Guinea (]Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
to Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
), is smaller (up to around ), has a less striped pattern and a more thorny back.[
Little is known about the biology of the striped panray and the IUCN has assessed it as being Vulnerable.][ It feeds on ]benthic
The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "t ...
invertebrates and it is ovoviviparous
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 ...
, giving birth to 1–4 young that are about long.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q139163
striped panray
Fish of the East Atlantic
Marine fauna of West Africa
striped panray