Yantai stingray
species of fish
The Yantai stingray (Hemitrygon laevigata; often misgendered laevigatus), is a little-known species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, inhabiting shallow waters in the northwestern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of China and Japan. Measuring no more than 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) across, this species is characterized by its diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc wider than long, completely smooth skin, dorsal coloration of dark irregular spots on a yellowish gray-brown background, and ventral coloration of more spots on a white background with yellowish margins. One of the three most common stingrays sold for food in China, the slow-reproducing Yantai stingray faces possible overfishing and habitat degradation, and its numbers appear to be declining. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as vulnerable.
Taxonomy
The Yantai stingray was described by Yuanting Chu in his 1960 Cartilaginous Fishes of China, based on specimens obtained from the Shanghai Fish Market, Dongfushan, and Huaniao.
Distribution and habitat
The Yantai stingray is found in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, as far north as Japan and as far south as the Taiwan Strait; it is reportedly abundant off southern Japan and northern China. This bottom-dwelling species inhabits inshore waters to a depth of 50 m (160 ft), and has been known to enter estuaries.
Description
A small species, male and female Yantai stingrays grow to no more than 20 cm (7.9 in) and 30 cm (12 in) across respectively. Its pectoral fin disc is diamond-shaped and 1.2–1.3 times wider than long, with nearly straight anterior margins converging to a blunt-angled snout, and rounded outer margins. The large, protruding eyes are immediately followed by a pair of equal-sized or slightly smaller, elliptical spiracles.
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