Please help with this Indo-Pacific stingray

[Deefstes]

I still have this picture of a ray photographed on a dive pretty much one year ago. I've tried identifying it a few times and each time ended up putting it back in the unidentified folder even though I'm sure it should be identifiable.

Click on image for larger resolution


Every time I try to identify this beast I start to gravitate towards Himantura draco but there are some features that don't hold up and I get the impression that H. draco would be pretty exceptional. I just can't find a better candidate though.

The shape of the body suggests Himantura and the length of the tail, absence of caudal finfolds and speckling on the trailing edge of the disc point to H. draco. That said, from what I can find H. draco should have a "conspicuous band of enlarged, erect, rough, hooked thorns on midline of disc". While there is a band of thorns on the midline of the disc (which can be seen when enlarged) it is hardly conspicuous and I can't make out any erectness or hookedness to them. Then again, that is only the description and I'm not sure just how conspicuous, erect and hooked it really is supposed to be. I've been unable to find any photographs of H. draco.

The animal was photographed at Sodwana bay in South Africa at a depth of something around 15m.

Any help please?

 

[designbysue]

Looks a lot like the Southern Stingrays I see in Florida and the Caribbean.

Sue

 

[Rick Murchison]

absence of caudal finfolds

Hmmm.... yep, that makes it difficult... otherwise the general morphology sure is typical for Dasyatis sp.
I wonder if the description of H. draco w/r/t the rough ridge is purveying an accurate image??? Considering the distribution and the recent description, is the archetype sample in SA where you can go have a look?
Rick

 

[donnyb]

I am assuming the thing along the whip tail is a Labroides wrasse.
If so, images on Elasmodiver.com are very similar to yours and he has tentatively named it Himantura jenkinsii. Check for yourself:
JENKINS WHIPRAY

 

[Deefstes]

Hmmm.... yep, that makes it difficult... otherwise the general morphology sure is typical for Dasyatis sp.
I wonder if the description of H. draco w/r/t the rough ridge is purveying an accurate image??? Considering the distribution and the recent description, is the archetype sample in SA where you can go have a look?
Rick

Interesting idea, I think I'll look into this.

donnyb, I considered H. jenkinsii as well but I thought that this animal's nose wasn't pointy enough for H. jenkinsii and also I couldn't find any pictures or description of H. jenkinsii mentioning spots along the trailing edge of the disk.