Classification / Names
Common names from other countries
Main reference
Size / Weight / Age
Max length : 500 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 82755); max. reported age: 31 years (Ref. 97313)
Length at first maturity
Lm ?, range 370 - 390 cm
Environment
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 1 - 120 m (Ref. 86942)
Climate / Range
Tropical, preferred ?; 32°N - 34°S, 30°E - 134°W
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, South Africa, Thailand to Western Australia.; north to Japan (Yaeyama Is.), to Solitary Is., Australia as far east as French Polynesia and the Hawaiian Is. Reported in the Atlantic (Canary and Cape Verde islands) but this species may be restricted more or less to the Indian and Western Pacific only (McEachran, pers.comm. 03/10)..
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions
Short description
This species is characterized by the following: disc approximately 2.2-2.4 times as broad as it is long, the maximum disc width size approximately 550 cm; slender whip-like tail approximately 123% of disc length if intact; no distinct caudal spine or cartilaginous mass at base of tail; some specimens have small hump at the base of the tail on the dorsal surface, while others have a slight depression and groove on the dorsum of the tail immediately posterior to the posterior margin of the dorsal fin; small, knob-like dermal denticles evenly distributed on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces, with ventral surface having slightly larger denticles; dental ligament with small cusped teeth on the lower jaw measuring roughly 22% of total disc length, approximately 6-8 rows, 142-182 files across entire width of the tooth band; total tooth counts of 900-1500 for entire tooth band; top jaw lacks rows of enlarged denticles (Ref. 82755).
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index
PD50 = 0.7500 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)
Trophic Level
3.6 ±0.5 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Tm = 3-6; Fec =1)
Vulnerability
Very high vulnerability (76 of 100)
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