The giant stingaree (Plesiobatis daviesi) will be kicking off #StingareeSundays on The Fins United Initiative. Also known as the deepwater stingray, this large animal comes in quite a few colour combinations: from grey-black to brown to purple-brown, they are always with a black outer margin and have a white underbelly. Their pelvic fins and tail tend to be a pale grey colour, and the sting is also pale. #Finfact: The species name of the giant stingaree is daviesi to honor David H. Davies, a former director of the Ocean Research Institute in Durban, South Africa. They have been observed in the waters off of South Africa and Mozambique, southern India, the Philippines, Japan, and Australia. There are some reports of these animals in the Hawaiian Islands, too. This makes for a pretty patchy distribution! Giant stingarees are found on the continental slope (observed at depths of 275-68 m deep), and they have quite a varied diet: small pelagic fish, eels, crustaceans, cephalopods, and polychaete worms. To our knowledge, the giant stingaree goes deeper than any other stingray species. A rather plain-looking stingray, they have a pointed snout, very small eyes, a short tail, and a pretty round-shaped disc that is covered with dermal denticles. The IUCN has assessed the giant stingaree as an animal of Least Concern (LC). ever heard of this stingaree?glossary
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AuthorTFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments. SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:
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