circular stingaree

4/28/2018

The circular stingaree (Urolophus circularis) is a little-known species of stingray that is endemic to southwestern Australia. Preferring rocky or vegetated coastal waters, they can reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in length. They have a beautiful pattern of light spots and rings on a blue-grey-black background. They also have large black spots with white borders in a ring-like pattern on the middle of their back.

Source: Clay Bryce / Western Australian Museum.

The first known specimen this animal was collected off of Carnac Island, near Fremantle, Western Australia. An Australian ichthyologist named Roland McKay described the animal in 1966! Also called the banded stingray, they can be found down to 120 m (390 ft) and are viviparous with yolk-sac. In fact, they are sustained by histotroph ("uterine milk"). We don't know much else about them, but we think their litter sizes are probably small. The circular stingaree has been listed under Least Concern (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT this stingaree BEFORE?

GLOSSARY

Endemic: Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else.
IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Viviparous with yolk-sac: Also known as aplacental viviparous and previously known as ovoviviparous/ovoviviparity; it is the production of eggs that are fertilised and hatch inside the female shark but the embryos lack a placental connection to the oviduct or uterus and so do not feed off the mother.