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Gymnura micrura (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Smooth butterfly ray |
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photo by
JAMARC |
| Family: | Gymnuridae (Butterfly rays) | |||
| Max. size: | 137 cm WD (male/unsexed); max.weight: 5,250.0 g | |||
| Environment: | demersal; brackish; marine; depth range - 55 m | |||
| Distribution: | Southwestern Atlantic: Venezuela, including Trinidad and Tobago, to Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). | |||
| Diagnosis: | Broad, diamond-shaped ray with a very short tail lacking a dorsal spine (Ref. 26938). Snout protruding. Front edges of disk concave. Tail with low dorsal and ventral finfolds and 3 - 4 dark crossbars (Ref. 7251). Upper surface gray, brown, light green or purple with round spots. Lower surface white (Ref. 6902). | |||
| Biology: | Prefers neritic waters of the continental shelf and usually found on soft bottoms. May enter brackish estuaries or hyper-saline lagoons (Ref. 5217). Feeds on fish and shrimps (Ref. 28587); other crustaceans and clams (Ref. 27549). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Generally marketed salted (Ref. 5217). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Near Threatened (NT); Date assessed: 19 September 2020 (A2d) Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | harmless | |||