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Blackspotted whipray (Maculabatis toshi) — Dasyatidae

Blackspotted whipray

Maculabatis toshi
Family: Dasyatidae

The Blackspotted whipray (Maculabatis toshi) is a saltwater fish of the family Dasyatidae that grows up to 86 cm.

Length
86 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
10.0–140.0 m
Body shape
Irregular
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Blackspotted whipray is a whipray (Dasyatidae) from coastal waters of coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific, off Australia. 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 Blackspotted whipray?

The Blackspotted whipray has an irregular in shape body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Blackspotted whipray live?

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

How big does the Blackspotted whipray get?

The Blackspotted whipray grows to a maximum of about 86 cm.

Is the Blackspotted whipray dangerous to humans?

The Blackspotted whipray is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed.

Is the Blackspotted whipray edible?

Yes, the Blackspotted whipray is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Toshs pijlstaartrog sourced
English name
Blackspotted whipray sourced
Scientific name
Maculabatis toshi
Family
Dasyatidae
Other names
Black-spotted stingray; Black-spotted whip ray; Blackspotted whipray; Black-spotted whipray verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
86.0 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
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Max depth (m)
140.0 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
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Venomous / poisonous verified

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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