The porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus) is a rare species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. This bottom-dweller is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, as well as off West Africa. It favors sand, coral rubble, and seagrass habitats in inshore waters to a depth of . A large and heavy-bodied species reaching in width, the porcupine ray has a nearly circular, plain-colored pectoral fin disc and a thin tail without any fin folds. Uniquely within its family, it lacks a venomous stinging spine. However, an adult ray can still defend itself ably with the many large, sharp thorns found over its disc and tail.
The diet of the porcupine ray consists mainly of benthic invertebrates and bony fishes, which it digs up from the sea floor. It is aplacental viviparous, in which the developing embryos are nourished by histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother. The porcupine ray has long been valued for its rough and durable skin, which was made into a shagreen leather once used for various utilitarian and ornamental purposes, such as to cover sword hilts and shields. It is caught incidentally by coastal fisheries. Because it must be handled carefully due to its thorns, its commercial significance is limited. Unregulated fishing has led to this species declining in many parts of its range, thus it has been listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Taxonomy
German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Schneider described the porcupine ray in their 1801 work Systema Ichthyologiae, based on a partial dried skin obtained from Mumbai, India. They placed it in the genus Raja and named it asperrima, meaning "roughest" in Latin. In the same work, they also described a West African form, Raja africana. Later authors have regarded the two as synonymous. However, since the two names were published simultaneously, uncertainty exists about which name has priority. Some works give the ray's specific epithet as asperrimus, and others as africanus.
In 1837, Johannes Peter Müller and Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle placed the porcupine ray in a new genus, Gymnura. As the name Gymnura was already in use, referring to the butterfly rays, so later that year, Müller and Henle replaced it with Urogymnus. Both names are derived from the Ancient Greek oura ("tail") and gymnos ("naked" or "unarmed"), referring to the lack of a tail sting. Urogymnus has traditionally been considered monotypic (only containing U. asperrimus), but several other species were moved to this genus from Himantura in 2016 based on morphology and molecular evidence.
Other common names for this species include black spotted ray, rough-skinned ray, roughback stingaree, Solander's ray, and thorny ray. More than one species of porcupine ray may exist, as is currently recognized.
Distribution and habitat
The porcupine ray is widely distributed, but uncommon compared to other stingrays that share its range. It is found all along the continental periphery of the Indian Ocean, from South Africa to the Arabian Peninsula to Southeast Asia to Ningaloo Reef off western Australia, including Madagascar, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka; it has colonized the eastern Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. In the Pacific Ocean, its range continues through Indonesia and New Guinea, north to the Philippines, east to the Gilbert Islands and Fiji, and south to Heron Island off eastern Australia. This species is also found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Senegal, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire. Bottom-dwelling in nature, the porcupine ray is found close to shore at depths of . It inhabits sandy flats, coral rubble, and seagrass beds, often near reefs, and also enters brackish water.
Description
The pectoral fin disc of the porcupine ray is evenly oval, almost as wide as long, and very thick at the center, giving it a domed appearance. The tip of the snout is rounded and barely protruding. The small eyes are closely followed by much larger spiracles. Between the narrow nostrils is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin; the posterior margin of the curtain is strongly fringed and overhangs the mouth. The mouth bears three to five papillae on the floor and prominent furrows at the corners. The area around the mouth, including the curtain, are heavily covered by more papillae. Around 48 tooth rows are found in either jaw. The teeth are small and flattened. Five pairs of gill slits are located on the underside of the disc.