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FISH FACTS |
Description
The White-spotted Eagle Ray has a large disc shaped body with angular corners and a long tail. The body is black or blue black with white spots on the upper surface. The underside is white. The snout is flat and rounded like a duck bill, becoming more pointed in mature adults. The long tail has a long spine near the base. It sometimes swims close to the surface and occasionally leaps out of the water. Often forms large schools during the non-breeding season.
Size
Diameter to 3.5m. Total length including tail to 8.8m Weight to 230kg
Habitat
usually found near land in bays, coral reefs at depths from 1m to 60m, sometimes seen in estuaries.
Food
bivalves, shrimps, crabs, octopus, small fish
Breeding
Ovoviviparous - bears young in litters of 2-4
Range
The White-spotted Eagle Ray is found in tropical coastal waters worldwide. In Australia it is found from central coast of Western Australia, around Northern Territory and Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales.
Notes
Sometimes caught by trawlers. The flesh is edible.
Classification
| Class: | Chondrichthyes | | Order: | Rajiformes | | Family: | Myliobatidae | | Genus: | Aetobatus | | Species: | narinari | | Common Name: | White-spotted Eagle Ray |
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