Giant shovelnose ray

© Mark Boulton / www.ardea.com

The giant shovelnose ray (Glaucostegus typus) is a medium-sized grey/yellow brown shovelnose ray with short snout. It has small thorns and enlarged denticles along middle of body. Its ventral side is pale, and its snout is sometimes pale grey in colour.

Born at a measly 38 to 40cm, the adults can reach lengths of up to 270 cm. The adults mature at around 150-180 cm, and are viviparous with unknown litter sizes. The giant shovelnose rays are widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific from India to eastern Australia. Here, they enjoy a healthy appetite of prawns, crabs, small fishes, and cephalopods. They are currently listed as Vulnerable (VU).

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glossary

• Cephalopods: The most intelligent, mobile, and largest of all molluscs. These include: squid, octopuses, cuttlefish, the chambered nautilus, and their relatives.
• ​IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Ventral side: Underbelly.
• 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).​

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