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Porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus) — Dasyatidae

Porcupine ray

Urogymnus asperrimus
Family: Dasyatidae

The Porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Dasyatidae that grows up to 147 cm.

Length
147 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
15.0–217.0 m
Body shape
Irregular
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The porcupine ray is a large stingray (Dasyatidae) from coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 1.2 metres wide and has a flattened, almost round, grey-brown body entirely covered with coarse, thorny tubercles and spines. Remarkably, unlike most stingrays, it has no venomous tail spine. As a bottom-dweller it searches sand and reef bottoms for crustaceans, molluscs and worms. Lacking a sting, the fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Porcupine ray?

The Porcupine ray has an irregular in shape body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Porcupine ray live?

The Porcupine ray lives in brackish water and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Porcupine ray get?

The Porcupine ray grows to a maximum of about 147 cm.

Is the Porcupine ray dangerous to humans?

No, the Porcupine ray is harmless to humans.

Is the Porcupine ray edible?

Yes, the Porcupine ray is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Stekelrog sourced
English name
Porcupine ray sourced
Scientific name
Urogymnus asperrimus
Family
Dasyatidae
Other names
Porcupine ray; Porcupine whipray verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
147.0 verified
Body shape
Irregular sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
15.0 verified
Max depth (m)
217.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Dasyatidae

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