Eastern shovelnose ray

1/16/2017

The eastern shovelnose ray (Aptychotrema rostrata) is a greyish-brown coloured ray adorned with dark blotches on its dorsal side and a creamy underbelly. A medium sized ray, they are born measuring anywhere from 13-15 cm to attaining a maximum length of 120 cm. Males mature at 60-68 cm in length, while females mature at 54-66 cm in length.

Found on the continental shelf off eastern Australia between Queensland and New South Wales (both Australian territories), they usually venture no more than 100 m deep. Here, they act as both predator and scavenger, looking for crustaceans (prawns, shrimp and crabs are a few favorites) and a variety of fish.

The eastern shovelnose rays are viviparous and generally give birth to 4-18 pups in the November or December months after a 3-5 month gestation period. The IUCN has assessed and listed these animals as Least Concern (LC).

did you know about this ray before?

glossary

Continental shelf: Extends from a continent underwater, resulting in a shallow-water area.
Continental slope: The steep slope from a continental shelf to the ocean floor; usually around 20 km (12.4 miles) wide and made up of mud and silt substrate. It is an ideal area for deep sea fishing.
Crustaceans: Group of animals with a hard exoskeleton, jointed legs and segmented body.
Disc length (DL): A standard measurement of stingray; disc is slightly longer than it is wide.
Dorsal side: The top of an animal.
Gestation: The period in which a fetus develops, beginning with fertilization and ends at birth.
IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Pup: Give birth to baby sharks (pups).
Pups: Baby sharks.
Teleost: Bony fishes.

Viviparous: Eggs hatch inside the female's body and the babies are fed by a placenta which transfers nourishment from the mother to the babies (via an umbilical cord which is connected to the baby shark between the pectoral fins).