Bullnose ray

Bullnose Ray. Image © George Burgess

​Ever heard of the Bullnose Ray (Myliobatis freminvillii)? No? Don’t feel bad – you aren’t the only one! This is a little-known eagle ray with a wide distribution across the western Atlantic ocean all the way from Cape Cod down to Argentina.  If you live in certain parts of the western central Atlantic ocean, you may not have this critter call your waters home, though.  

Like many eagle rays, the bullnose rays love coastal waters and can be observed in shallow estuaries up to just 10 metres deep. Measuring up to 106 cm disc width (DW), little is known about the biology of this animal. A migratory species, their coastal ways means they are within the range of coastal fisheries. Caught by both artisanal and industrial fisheries (via longlines, trammel nets and in trawls) it is marketed and sold in some areas around the world. No data are available to assess population trends and it cannot currently be assessed beyond Data Deficient (DD) by the IUCN.

​EVER HEARD OF THis ANIMAL?

GLOSSARY

• Artisanal fishery: There is, as yet, no universally-accepted definition; the term is used interchangeably with ‘small scale fishery.’ In general, artisanal fishing will be family-based, employing small or no boats and simple and/or traditional methods.
• Estuary: Where the tide meets the stream (resulting in a mixture of fresh and salt seawater).
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.​
• Longline fishing: The commercial fishing industry’s version of traditional hook and line fishing.
• Trawl fisheries: Fisheries that pull a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. 

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