New record of the smalleye stingray, Dasyatis microps (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae), from the western Indian Ocean

Abstract

Members of the Dasyatidae (stingrays) range in width from very small (<24 cm, e.g. the dwarf whipray Himantura walga) to very large size (>200 cm, e.g. the smooth stingray Dasyatis brevicaudata) (Last & Compagno, 1999; White & Dharmadi, 2007). The dasyatids are represented worldwide by more than 70 currently recognised extant species which occur in a variety of habitats, e.g. marine, estuarine and freshwater. They are typically demersal on insular and continental shelves, but one species (the pelagic stingray Dasyatis violacea) is pelagic in oceanic waters (Last & Compagno, 1999). In this paper we report the first occurrence of the smalleye stingray Dasyatis microps (Annandale) in the western Indian Ocean and provide information on the fresh colouration of this rare species.