THE FINS UNITED INITIATIVE
  • About TFUI
    • TFUI Origins >
      • About TFUI Founder Melissa
      • TFUI Officers
    • Take a Bite
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
  • Bite Blog
  • Education
    • The Sharks >
      • Shark Anatomy
    • The Skates & Rays
    • The Chimaeras
    • Why Environments Matter
    • The Threats
    • Open Access >
      • Behind the Fins: Interview series
      • Bite into Research
      • Shark Bites: Book Recommendations
      • Sustainable Seafood Apps
  • Fins United
    • Shark Party Ideas
    • Little Fins Nursery
    • Big Fins Reef
  • Contact

Kapala stingaree

7/9/2018

 
Picture
Source: Richard Ling / Flickr.
The Kapala Stingaree (Urolophus kapalensis) is a recently described animal -- like, 2006 recent (okay, maybe not that recently). A green-brown stingaree, they have a dark mask around their eyes that matches with the dark patches above the bases of their pelvic fins. This stingaree has a pale caudal fin that has a dark-colored margin although juveniles have been observed to have a dark caudal fin.
The dangerous thing this animal has? Don't let the mask fool you, it won't rob you- but if you aren't careful and accidentally startle or step on this animal, the venomous serrated spine on their tail can inflict a painful injury! Do the stingray shuffle, friends.

​Like many stingarees, they enjoy soft bottoms, and are often near sandy/shelly areas, seagrass beds or around rocky reefs. Endemic to eastern Australia, they are observed from Queensland down to southern New South Wales. They are caught as bycatch in the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery (ECTF) and in the New South Wales Ocean Prawn Trawl Fishery.

Stingarees viviparous with yolk sac, and the little ones are also sustained by histotroph, a "uterine milk" produced by the mother.  They are listed as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN.

EVER HEARD OF THE ANIMAL?

GLOSSARY

  • Endemic: Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else.
  • IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.​
  • Trawl fisheries: Fisheries that pull a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. ​
  • 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.

SAY HELLO!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Picture
DEEP WATER CATSHARK
Picture
EMERALD LANTERN SHARK
Picture
DARK GHOST SHARK

Comments are closed.

    Author

    TFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments.
    ​
    A proud #LatinainSTEM, Marquez is a marine biologist who focuses on shark habitat use and movements; she is also a science communicator (follow her on Twitter) who focuses on diverse Chondrichthyan education and who focuses on the media coverage of sharks.
    You can learn more about her on her website.

    SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Subscribe to The Fins United Initiative's monthly newsletter.

    SEARCH BY CATEGORIES

    Picture
    SHARKS
    Picture
    SKATES &
    ​RAYS
    Picture
    CHIMAERA

    READER FAVORITES

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM

    @finsunitedinitiative
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • About TFUI
    • TFUI Origins >
      • About TFUI Founder Melissa
      • TFUI Officers
    • Take a Bite
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
  • Bite Blog
  • Education
    • The Sharks >
      • Shark Anatomy
    • The Skates & Rays
    • The Chimaeras
    • Why Environments Matter
    • The Threats
    • Open Access >
      • Behind the Fins: Interview series
      • Bite into Research
      • Shark Bites: Book Recommendations
      • Sustainable Seafood Apps
  • Fins United
    • Shark Party Ideas
    • Little Fins Nursery
    • Big Fins Reef
  • Contact