Spiny butterfly ray
Species of cartilaginous fish / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The spiny butterfly ray or giant butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) is a species of butterfly ray, family Gymnuridae, native to the shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A large ray that can measure over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) across, it may be distinguished from the sympatric smooth butterfly ray (G. micrura) by the spine at the base of its tail and by a small tentacular structure on the margin of each spiracle. Slow-reproducing and valued for its meat, in recent decades its population has experienced a decline of over 30%, and it has become Critically Endangered in certain parts of its range.[1]
Spiny butterfly ray | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Superorder: | Batoidea |
Order: | Myliobatiformes |
Family: | Gymnuridae |
Genus: | Gymnura |
Species: | G. altavela |
Binomial name | |
Gymnura altavela | |
Range of the spiny butterfly ray | |
Synonyms | |
Pteroplatea binotata Lunel, 1879 |