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Round whipray (Maculabatis pastinacoides) — Dasyatidae

Round whipray

Maculabatis pastinacoides
Family: Dasyatidae

The Round whipray (Maculabatis pastinacoides) is a saltwater fish of the family Dasyatidae that grows up to 80 cm.

Length
80 cm
Water
Saltwater
Body shape
Irregular
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous
Range
Asia: Indonesia

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Description

The Round whipray is a whipray (Dasyatidae) from coastal waters of coastal and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 50 cm wide and has a flattened, diamond-shaped, brown-grey body with a long, thin whip tail bearing one or more venomous spines. As a bottom-dweller it often lies half-buried on sand and mud bottoms and searches for crustaceans, molluscs and small fish. The tail spine can give an extremely painful sting wound.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Round whipray?

The Round whipray has an irregular in shape body and is mainly brown. Bears venomous spines or tissue; handle with great care.

Where does the Round whipray live?

The Round whipray lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Asia: Indonesia

How big does the Round whipray get?

The Round whipray grows to a maximum of about 80 cm.

Is the Round whipray dangerous to humans?

The Round whipray is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed. For a sting from the tail spine: rinse the wound with seawater, apply pressure to limit bleeding and immerse the part for 30-90 minutes in water as hot as can be tolerated (about 45 C). The wound is often deep and may contain spine fragments; seek medical care, have the wound cleaned and check tetanus status.

More photos

Round whipray (Maculabatis pastinacoides) — Dasyatidae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) Cetacord, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Round whipray (Maculabatis pastinacoides) — Dasyatidae — 3
Cetacord (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Round whipray (Maculabatis pastinacoides) — Dasyatidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Adeline Hii, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Round whipray sourced
Scientific name
Maculabatis pastinacoides
Family
Dasyatidae
Other names
Round whip ray verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
80.0 verified
Body shape
Irregular sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Natural range
Asia: Indonesia sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred
Special features
Bears venomous spines or tissue; handle with great care. inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Bottom fishing with natural bait (worm, shrimp or fish) on or just above the seabed. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Venomous / poisonous verified
First aid
For a sting from the tail spine: rinse the wound with seawater, apply pressure to limit bleeding and immerse the part for 30-90 minutes in water as hot as can be tolerated (about 45 C). The wound is often deep and may contain spine fragments; seek medical care, have the wound cleaned and check tetanus status. sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Maculabatis

More from the family Dasyatidae

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