Patchwork stingaree
Encyclopedia
The patchwork stingaree (Urolophus flavomosaicus) is a little-known species
of stingray
in the family
Urolophidae, with a disjunct distribution
off northwestern and northeastern Australia
. It usually inhabits the outer continental shelf
, at a depth of 60–320 m (196.9–1,049.9 ft). This species has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc much wider than long, and a short, flattened tail with a prominent dorsal fin
and leaf-like caudal fin. There is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin between its nostrils. Its dorsal color pattern resembles a mosaic
of dark brown rings with light-colored centers, separated by fine reticulated lines. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the patchwork stingaree under Least Concern
, as it is subject to minimal fishing pressure.
flavus ("yellow") and mosaicus ("mosaic") in reference to its coloration. A male 33 cm (13 in) across, collected north of Port Hedland, Western Australia
on 21 April 1982, by the research trawler FRV Soela, was designated as the type specimen. It seems to be most closely related to the sandyback stingaree (U. bucculentus) and the butterfly stingaree
(U. papilio).
to Cape Leveque
in Western Australia
, and the eastern population from Caloundra to Townsville in Queensland
. It seems to be rather patchily distributed, with only small numbers of individuals present at any particular location. This benthic species is mostly found over fine substrates
on the outer continental shelf
, and has been reported from 60 to 320 m (196.9 to 1,049.9 ft) deep.
s with angular posterior rims. The outer rim of each nostril may be enlarged into a small knob; between the nostrils is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin with a finely fringed trailing margin. There are 8–14 stubby papillae (nipple-like structures) on the floor of the large mouth, as well as a narrow patch of large papillae on the lower jaw. The teeth are small with roughly oval bases, and the five pairs of gill slit
s are short. The pelvic fins are small with curved margins.
The short, very flattened tail measures 67–79% as long as the disc and terminates in a short, deep, leaf-shaped caudal fin. A lateral skin fold runs along the each side of the tail, which is most obvious in juveniles. The upper surface of the tail bears a rather large dorsal fin
followed by a serrated stinging spine. The skin entirely lacks dermal denticles. The dorsal coloration of this species is distinctive, consisting of a yellowish background with numerous large, dark brown rings surrounding light-colored spots, that may be separated from each other by a network of fine pale lines (particularly at the center of the disc) to give the impression of a mosaic
. The rings become smaller and less well-defined towards the margins of the disc. The dorsal and caudal fins are light in adults and dark with nearly black margins in juveniles.
, it is apparently the tropical equivalent of the temperate
sandyback stingaree. Reproduction is presumably aplacental viviparous like in other stingrays, with the developing embryo
s sustained by maternally produced histotroph ("uterine
milk"). The litter size is probably small, judging by related species. Males mature sexually
at under 38 cm (15 in) long.
Fishery
(CSF) off Queensland and the Western Trawl Fisheries (WTF) off Western Australia regularly operate within the geographical and depth range occupied by the patchwork stingaree. Both fisheries have a negligible impact on this species because of their small scale, and are unlikely to expand in the near future. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the patchwork stingaree under Least Concern
. It would potentially benefit from the implementation of the 2004 Australian National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of stingray
Myliobatiformes
Myliobatiformes is one of the four orders of batoids, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They were formerly included in the order Rajiformes, but more recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the myliobatiforms are a monophyletic group, and that its more derived members evolved their...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Urolophidae, with a disjunct distribution
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
off northwestern and northeastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It usually inhabits the outer continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
, at a depth of 60–320 m (196.9–1,049.9 ft). This species has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc much wider than long, and a short, flattened tail with a prominent dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
and leaf-like caudal fin. There is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin between its nostrils. Its dorsal color pattern resembles a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
of dark brown rings with light-colored centers, separated by fine reticulated lines. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the patchwork stingaree under Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
, as it is subject to minimal fishing pressure.
Taxonomy
Peter Last and Martin Gomon described the patchwork stingaree in a 1987 issue of Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, giving it the specific epithet flavomosaicus from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
flavus ("yellow") and mosaicus ("mosaic") in reference to its coloration. A male 33 cm (13 in) across, collected north of Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland, Western Australia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
on 21 April 1982, by the research trawler FRV Soela, was designated as the type specimen. It seems to be most closely related to the sandyback stingaree (U. bucculentus) and the butterfly stingaree
Butterfly stingaree
The butterfly stingaree is a little-known species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, endemic to the continental slope off the Chesterfield Islands...
(U. papilio).
Distribution and habitat
The patchwork stingaree is a northern Australian endemic with a discontinuous range: the western population is found from the Houtman AbrolhosHoutman Abrolhos
The Houtman Abrolhos is a chain of 122 islands, and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. Nominally located at , it lies about eighty kilometres west of Geraldton, Western Australia...
to Cape Leveque
Cape Leveque
Cape Leveque is the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Cape Leveque is 240 km north of Broome, and is remote with few facilities. Nevertheless, the Cape's sandy beaches are attracting an increasing number of visitors.A 13-metre-tall...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and the eastern population from Caloundra to Townsville in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. It seems to be rather patchily distributed, with only small numbers of individuals present at any particular location. This benthic species is mostly found over fine substrates
Substrate (marine biology)
Stream substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. There are several classification guides. One is:*Mud – silt and clay.*Sand – Particles between 0.06 and 2 mm in diameter.*Granule – Between 2 and 4 mm in diameter....
on the outer continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
, and has been reported from 60 to 320 m (196.9 to 1,049.9 ft) deep.
Description
Among the largest members of its family, the patchwork stingaree can grow to at least 59 cm (23.2 in) long. It has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc much wider than long, with broadly rounded outer corners and nearly straight anterior margins that converge at an obtuse angle. The tip of the snout protrudes slightly past the disc. The small eyes are followed by comma-shaped spiracleSpiracle
Spiracles are openings on the surface of some animals that usually lead to respiratory systems.-Vertebrates:The spiracle is a small hole behind each eye that opens to the mouth in some fishes. In the primitive jawless fish the first gill opening immediately behind the mouth is essentially similar...
s with angular posterior rims. The outer rim of each nostril may be enlarged into a small knob; between the nostrils is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin with a finely fringed trailing margin. There are 8–14 stubby papillae (nipple-like structures) on the floor of the large mouth, as well as a narrow patch of large papillae on the lower jaw. The teeth are small with roughly oval bases, and the five pairs of gill slit
Gill slit
Gill slits are individual openings to gills, i.e., multiple gill arches, which lack a single outer cover. Such gills are characteristic of Cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays, sawfish, and guitarfish. Most of these have five pairs, but a few species have 6 or 7 pairs...
s are short. The pelvic fins are small with curved margins.
The short, very flattened tail measures 67–79% as long as the disc and terminates in a short, deep, leaf-shaped caudal fin. A lateral skin fold runs along the each side of the tail, which is most obvious in juveniles. The upper surface of the tail bears a rather large dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
followed by a serrated stinging spine. The skin entirely lacks dermal denticles. The dorsal coloration of this species is distinctive, consisting of a yellowish background with numerous large, dark brown rings surrounding light-colored spots, that may be separated from each other by a network of fine pale lines (particularly at the center of the disc) to give the impression of a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
. The rings become smaller and less well-defined towards the margins of the disc. The dorsal and caudal fins are light in adults and dark with nearly black margins in juveniles.
Biology and ecology
Virtually nothing is known of the natural history of the patchwork stingaree. EcologicallyEcological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
, it is apparently the tropical equivalent of the temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
sandyback stingaree. Reproduction is presumably aplacental viviparous like in other stingrays, with the developing embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
s sustained by maternally produced histotroph ("uterine
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
milk"). The litter size is probably small, judging by related species. Males mature sexually
Sexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
at under 38 cm (15 in) long.
Human interactions
Only the Coral SeaCoral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
Fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
(CSF) off Queensland and the Western Trawl Fisheries (WTF) off Western Australia regularly operate within the geographical and depth range occupied by the patchwork stingaree. Both fisheries have a negligible impact on this species because of their small scale, and are unlikely to expand in the near future. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the patchwork stingaree under Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
. It would potentially benefit from the implementation of the 2004 Australian National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.