Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Reticulate Whipray Himantura uarnak
This beautifully patterned stingray belongs to a group called whiprays, which have long, thin, flexible tails. Its upper surface is densely covered with wavy brown lines or reticulations. Its disk, or body, is about 5 ft (1.5 m) long and the tail can be nearly three times this length. Its stinger is a single, large spine located a short distance from the tail base; some individuals have two spines. The body is almost diamond-shaped and the snout is broadly triangular with a pointed tip. Found in warm waters, mainly near the coast, reticulate whiprays are sometimes seen by divers, lying quietly in sandy patches between rocks.
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- Order Rajiformes
- Length About 15 ft (4.5 m) including tail
- Weight About 265 lb (120 kg)
- Depth 65–165 ft (20–50 m)
- Distribution Coastal waters of Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and western Pacific
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