Fiddler ray: Difference between revisions
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{{Taxobox |
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| name = Fiddler rays |
| name = Fiddler rays hello |
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| image = Trygonorrhina sp.jpg |
| image = Trygonorrhina sp.jpg |
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Revision as of 19:42, 9 November 2009
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| Eastern fiddler ray (Trygonorrhina sp. A) from Botany Bay, NSW, Australia | |
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| Genus: | Trygonorrhina |
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The fiddler rays or banjo sharks are a genus, Trygonorrhina, of guitarfish, family Rhinobatidae. There are three species, found along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. They are benthic in nature, favoring shallow sandy bays, rocky reefs, and seagrass beds. The eastern fiddler is found to a depth of 120 meters and the southern fiddler to a depth of 180 meters.[1][2]
The flattened pectoral fin discs of fiddler rays are shorter and more rounded than that of other guitarfishes. Their tails are slender, with a well-developed caudal fin and two triangular dorsal fins.[3] Their snouts are translucent.[1] The fiddler rays are also distinguished from other guitarfishes in that the anterior nasal flaps of their nostrils are expanded backwards and fused together into a nasal curtain that reaches the mouth.[4]
Fiddler rays feed on bottom shellfish, crabs, and worms, which they crush between their jaws.[1] The eastern fiddler ray is known to scavenge from fish traps.[4] Like other guitarfishes, fiddler rays are ovoviviparous. The egg capsules of the southern fiddler ray are reported to be golden in color, containing three embryos each.[2] It gives birth to litters of 4-6 young per breeding cycle.[5] Fiddler rays are harmless and easily approached by divers.[1] Southern fiddler rays are taken as bycatch by commercial trawlers and by recreational fishers; the flesh is of good quality and sold in small quantities.[5]
Species
- Eastern fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina sp. A This species is found from southern Queensland to Twofold Bay in southern New South Wales. It is brown with shades of yellow or olive above, with a pattern of pale lilac bands edged with dark brown and a distinctive triangular pattern behind its eyes. It has yet to be formally described, as for years the scientific name for the southern fiddler ray (see below) was erroneously applied to this species.[3][1] The maximum known length is 92 (possibly 120) cm.[4]
- Southern fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina fasciata (syn. Rhinobatus dumerilii Castelnau, 1873, Trygonorhina guaneria Whitley, 1932) This species is found from the eastern coast of Victoria westward to Perth. It has a darker yellowish brown color than the eastern fiddler, with blue-grey bands that do not form a triangle behind the eyes.[1] The maximum known length is 126 cm, and the maximum known weight 6.7 kg.[2] This species has been evaluated as of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List; it is common throughout its range and South East Trawl Fishery capture data from 1992-2002 shows no appreciable population decline. It has many alternate common names, such as fiddler, green skate, and parrit.[5]
- Magpie fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina melaleuca A very rare species known only from Gulf Saint Vincent in South Australia, distinguishable by its entirely bluish-black coloration. It may represent a mutant form of the southern fiddler ray.[6][7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Aitken, K. (2002). Southern Fiddler Ray (Trygonorrhina fasciata) & Eastern Fiddler Ray (Trygonorrhina sp.). Rhinobatidae. Marine Themes. Retrieved on November 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Trygonorrhina fasciata". FishBase. November 2008 version.
- ^ a b McGrouther, M. (March 2006). Eastern Fiddler Ray, Trygonorrhina sp. A. Australian Museum. Retrieved on November 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c Compagno, L.J.V. and Last, P.R. (1999). "Rhinobatidae: Guitarfishes". In Carpenter, K.E. and Niem, V.H. (ed.). FAO identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9251043027.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Template:IUCN2008
- ^ Ferrari, A. and A. (2002). Sharks. New York: Firefly Books. ISBN 1552096297.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Trygonorrhina melaleuca". FishBase. November 2008 version.