Blue stingray
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| Dasyatis chrysonota (Smith, 1828) |
The blue stingray, Dasyatis chrysonota, is a stingray of the family Dasyatidae, found in estuaries, bays and lagoons from the southeast Atlantic Ocean around South Africa to Mozambique, from the surface to 100 m. Its length is up to 75 cm.
The blue stingray is found in shallow bays and sheltered sandy beaches in summertime, moving to deeper waters during winter. It feeds on bony fishes and crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps and mantis shrimps. It is often caught by shore anglers.
Coloration is brown with a mottled dorsal surface. There is one serrated spine on the whip-like tail.
The blue stingray is ovoviviparous, 1 to 5 young being born in summer after a 9 month gestation.
[edit] References
- "Dasyatis chrysonota". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- G M Branch, C L Griffiths, M L Branch, & L E Beckley, Two Oceans, A Guide to the Marine Life of Southern Africa, (David Philip Publishers (Pty) Ltd, Claremont, South Africa 1994) ISBN 0-86486-250-4
