Aetobatus

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Aetobatus
Temporal range: 59–0  Ma
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Thanetian to Present [1]
Spotted eagle ray Aetobatis ocellatus (7632595866).jpg
Aetobatus ocellatus in Fiji
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Aetobatidae
Genus: Aetobatus
Blainville, 1816

Aetobatus is a genus of eagle rays native to the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. [2] It was formerly placed in Myliobatidae, but is now placed in its own family Aetobatidae based on salient differences from myliobatids, especially the pectoral fins joining the head at the level of the eyes. [3]

Contents

Species

There are currently either 3 or 5 recognized extant species in this genus depending on the status of A. narinari:

ImageCommon NameScientific nameDistribution
Aetobatus flagellum fb1.png Long-headed eagle ray [4] Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)Indo-West Pacific
Spotted eagle ray Galapagos Ecuador DSC00302 ed ad.jpg Pacific white-spotted eagle ray [5] Aetobatus laticeps (T. N. Gill, 1865)Baja California to northern Peru, including the Galápagos
Spotted eagle ray 1.JPG Spotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasén, 1790)Atlantic (including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico); worldwide if A. ocellatus and A. laticeps are considered subspecies
Naru Eagle Ray dors.png Naru eagle ray [6] Aetobatus narutobiei W. T. White, Furumitsu, A. Yamaguchi, 2013northwest Pacific off south Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam
Aetobatus ocellatus Maldives.jpg Ocellated eagle ray [7] Aetobatus ocellatus (Kuhl, 1823)Indo-West Pacific

There are also 6 extinct species (only known from fossil remains) placed in this genus:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myliobatiformes</span> Order of cartilaginous fishes

Myliobatiformes is one of the four orders of batoids, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They were formerly included in the order Rajiformes, but more recent phylogenetic studies have shown the myliobatiforms to be a monophyletic group, and its more derived members evolved their highly flattened shapes independently of the skates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle ray</span> Family of cartilaginous fishes

The eagle rays are a group of cartilaginous fishes in the family Myliobatidae, consisting mostly of large species living in the open ocean rather than on the sea bottom.

<i>Myliobatis</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Myliobatis is a genus of eagle rays in the family Myliobatidae.

<i>Dasyatis</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Dasyatis is a genus of stingray in the family Dasyatidae that is native to the Atlantic, including the Mediterranean. In a 2016 taxonomic revision, many of the species formerly assigned to Dasyatis were reassigned to other genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rasptooth dogfish</span> Species of shark

The rasptooth dogfish is a dogfish, found on the Kyushu–Palau Ridge in the northwest Pacific Ocean at depths of 360 m. Its maximum length is unknown. This species was originally described as Centroscyllium sheikoi, and subsequently allocated to the newly named genus Miroscyllium based on anatomical features not shared with other Centroscyllium. More recent molecular data suggest this species belongs to the genus Etmopterus, but as of June 2014 Miroscyllium sheikoi remains the valid name recognized by FishBase, the Catalog of Fishes World Register of Marine Species, and the IUCN

<i>Himantura</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Himantura is a genus of stingray in the family Dasyatidae that is native to the Indo-Pacific. In a 2016 taxonomic revision, many of the species formerly assigned to Himantura were reassigned to other genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted eagle ray</span> Species of fish

The spotted eagle ray is a cartilaginous fish of the eagle ray family, Aetobatidae. As traditionally recognized, it is found globally in tropical regions, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Recent authorities have restricted it to the Atlantic with other populations recognized as the ocellated eagle ray and Pacific white-spotted eagle ray. Spotted eagle rays are most commonly seen alone, but occasionally swim in groups. They are ovoviviparous, the female retaining the eggs then releasing the young as miniature versions of the parent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longheaded eagle ray</span> Species of cartilaginous fish

The longheaded eagle ray is a species of eagle ray in the family Myliobatidae. The longheaded eagle ray, like other members of the genus Aetobatus, is characteristically different from other genera of eagle rays, distinguished by their notched nasal curtain; complete, singular set of upper and lower teeth; and v-shaped teeth in the lower jaw. It is found in the tropical and warm temperate Indo-West Pacific. It formerly included populations in the northwest Pacific, but these were recognized as a separate species, Aetobatus narutobiei, in 2013. Longheaded eagle rays are benthopelagic fishes that feed on crustaceans, cephalopods, echinoderms, and small bony fishes. It is a poorly known species, but generally uncommon and considered endangered by the IUCN.

<i>Aetomylaeus</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Aetomylaeus is a genus of eagle rays in the family Myliobatidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple eagle ray</span> Species of fish

The purple eagle ray is a species of fish in the family Myliobatidae. It was formerly considered endemic to Australia but is now known to be more widespread. Its natural habitat is the open seas where it has a patchy distribution, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "near-threatened".

<i>Rhinobatos</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Rhinobatos is a genus of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. Although previously used to encompass all guitarfishes, it was found to be polyphyletic, and recent authorities have transferred many species included in the genus to Acroteriobatus, Glaucostegus, and Pseudobatos.

<i>Rhynchobatus</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Rhynchobatus is a group of rays commonly known as wedgefishes in the family Rhinidae. They are found in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific with a single species in the eastern Atlantic. All species in this genus are assessed as Vulnerable or Endangered by IUCN.

The roughnose wedgefish is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Singapore. Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow seas, coral reefs, estuarine waters, and coastal saline lagoons. It is threatened by habitat loss. Despite having been known for more than a decade, it remained undescribed until 2016. This is a relatively small species, reaching up to 81 cm (2.66 ft) in length. Adults are greenish-brown above; young have white spots.

<i>Urogymnus</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Urogymnus is a genus of stingrays in the family Dasyatidae from marine, brackish and freshwater habitats in the Indo-Pacific and tropical East Atlantic regions. The genus was previously considered to be monotypic, containing only the porcupine ray. Molecular phylogenetic research published in 2016 reassigned several species from Himantura to Urogymnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiptail stingray</span> Family of fishes

The whiptail stingrays are a family, the Dasyatidae, of rays in the order Myliobatiformes. They are found worldwide in tropical to temperate marine waters, and a number of species have also penetrated into fresh water in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Members of this family have flattened pectoral fin discs that range from oval to diamond-like in shape. Their common name comes from their whip-like tails, which are much longer than the disc and lack dorsal and caudal fins. All whiptail stingrays, except the porcupine ray, have one or more venomous stings near the base of the tail, which is used in defense. In order to sting their victims, they jerk their tails as the stinger falls off and stays in the wound that they have created. The stinger of a whiptail stingray is pointy, sharp with jagged edges. They range in size from 0.18 to 2.0 m or more across in the case of the smalleye stingray and giant freshwater stingray.

<i>Taeniura</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Taeniura is a genus of stingrays in the family Dasyatidae. The species Taeniurops grabata and T. meyeni were formerly placed in this genus. However, phylogenetic research has shown that these two species are not closely related to T. lymma, and they have been assigned to a separate genus, Taeniurops.

<i>Aetobatus narutobiei</i> Species of cartilaginous fish

Aetobatus narutobiei, the Naru eagle ray, is a species of cartilaginous fish of the eagle ray family, Myliobatidae. It is found in the northwest Pacific off south Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. It occurs from shallow, coastal flats to a depth of 59 m (194 ft), but always in water warmer than 15 °C (59 °F).

<i>Aetobatus ocellatus</i> Species of fish

The ocellated eagle ray or the whitespotted eagle ray, Aetobatus ocellatus, is a species of cartilaginous fish in the eagle ray family Myliobatidae. It is found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region. In the past it was included in the spotted eagle ray, a species restricted to the Atlantic after the split.

<i>Telatrygon</i> Genus of cartilaginous fishes

Telatrygon is a genus of stingrays in the family Dasyatidae from the central Indo-Pacific. Its species were formerly contained within the genus Dasyatis.

<i>Aetobatus laticeps</i> Species of cartilaginous fish

Aetobatus laticeps, the Pacific white-spotted eagle ray, is a species of cartilaginous fish in the eagle ray family Myliobatidae. It is found in the tropical East Pacific Ocean, ranging from Baja California to northern Peru, including the Galápagos. There has been recent evidence to suggest A.laticeps is in the Mexican tropical Pacific, more specifically in Chacahua Lagoon. However this evidence is insufficient and so the research being done on the spotted eagle rays in Chacahua Lagoon is working under the name A. narinari. Until 2014, it was included in the similar spotted eagle ray, but the two differ in genetics. Studies have been conducted to attempt to identify spot patterns at the individual level. A. laticeps and A. narinari both have white spots on the dorsal side of their dark body, making them difficult to differentiate. Following the split, A. narinari is restricted to the Atlantic, while the Indo-Pacific is inhabited by the closely related A. ocellatus.

References

  1. Sepkoski, J. (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2012-05-10.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2015). Species of Aetobatus in FishBase . October 2015 version.
  3. White, W. T. & Naylor, G. J. P. (2016). Resurrection of the family Aetobatidae (Myliobatiformes) for the pelagic eagle rays, genus Aetobatus. Zootaxa 4139, 435–438. 10.11646/zootaxa.4139.3.10
  4. White, W.T. & Moore, A.B.M. (2013). "Redescription of Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), an endangered eagle ray (Myliobatoidea: Myliobatidae) from the Indo–West Pacific" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3752 (1): 199–213. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3752.1.12. PMID   25229115.
  5. White, W.T. (2014): A revised generic arrangement for the eagle ray family Myliobatidae, with definitions for the valid genera. Zootaxa, 3860 (2): 149–166.
  6. White, W.T., Furumitsu, K. & Yamaguchi, A. (2013): A New Species of Eagle Ray Aetobatus narutobiei from the Northwest Pacific: An Example of the Critical Role Taxonomy Plays in Fisheries and Ecological Sciences. PLoS ONE, 8 (12): e83785.
  7. White, W.T.; Last, P.R.; Naylor, G.J.P.; Jensen, K. & Caira, J.N. (2010). "Clarification of Aetobatus ocellatus (Kuhl, 1823) as a valid species, and a comparison with Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) (Rajiformes: Myliobatidae). In: Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Pogonoski, J.J (Eds.), Descriptions of New Sharks and Rays from Borneo" (PDF). CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. Paper 032: 141–164. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2015-07-28.