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White-edge Whipray

Himantura signifer

About

The white-edge whipray is a rare freshwater ray, named after the white strip around the edge of its disc. Its distribution is very patchy and limited to some river systems in Southeast Asia.

The white-edge whipray is an extremely rare species and as such, very little is known about it. It reproduces through aplacental viviparity, but the number of pups per litter and their size at birth are unknown.

Habitat degradation is likely to be the main threat facing this species as areas of Southeast Asia are subjected to logging, river engineering projects and urban development. Urban development can cause pollution to river systems from industrial waste, sewage and siltation. This species is also sold for its meat and wounds caused by its dorsal spine can be extremely painful and even fatal.

There are currently no conservation actions in place for this species. The Thai government started a captive breeding programme in the 1990s to breed this species and other freshwater stingrays but the project was stopped in 1996.

  • Order: Myliobatiformes
  • Family: Dasyatidae
  • Population: Unknown
  • Trend: decreasing
  • Size: Up to 2 m (?)

EDGE Score

EDGE Score: 5.65 (?)
ED Score: 34.46 (?)
GE / IUCN Red List (?)
Not Evaluated Data Deficient Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct

Distribution

The white-edge whipray is found in the Indo-Malay Archipelago, Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

Habitat and Ecology

Very little is known about the ecology of this species. It has a patchy distribution in freshwater habitats of sandy bottomed rivers and feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as crustaceans and insect larvae.

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