Plesiobatis daviesi (Wallace, 1967)
Deep-water stingray
Plesiobatis daviesi
photo by Myers, R.F.

 Family:  Plesiobatidae (Deepwater stingray)
 Max. size:  270 cm TL (male/unsexed)
 Environment:  bathydemersal; depth range 44 - 780 m
 Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: South Africa, Mozambique, southern India, east to the Philippines (Ref. 5281), north to Japan and south to Australia. Also reported from the Hawaiian Islands.
 Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0. A giant plain stingray with a broadly pointed snout, small eyes and a round disc; tail short with a long caudal fin and a narrow sting; upper surface covered with denticles (Ref. 5578). Grey-black to brownish or purplish-brown above, white below; rear edges of pelvic fins and tail grey; disc edges black, and sting light (Ref. 5578).
 Biology:  Found on the outer shelf and upper slope (Ref. 5578), on soft bottoms (Ref. 9914) at depths of 275-680 m (Ref.58048). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on small pelagic fish, eels, crabs, shrimp, lobsters, cephalopods and polychaete worms (Ref. 5578). The specimen taken from a depth of 44 m was caught off Mozambique (Ref. 9914). Its sting is long and can inflict a painful wound if handled. Caught occasionally by demersal longline fisheries in deepwater. Utilized for its meat, but not of a particularly high value (Ref.58048).
 IUCN Red List Status:   (Ref. 96402)
 Threat to humans:  venomous
 Country info:  Recorded from specimens collected in the southern Philippines, Silliman beach, Dumaguete City and Isla Vede, Pulu, Dapitan City (Ref. 47737). Also Ref. 5281.

 Entered by: Froese, Rainer - 13.02.93
 Modified by: Wiethüchter, Anita - 06.04.10
 Checked by: Garilao, Cristina V. - 19.10.95

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