Dasyatis marmorata

Lore & Background

The marbled stingray has a rhomboidal disc without spines, an elongated snout, and a thick whip-like tail with one dart at its base. It lacks caudal and anal fins and uses an undulatory locomotion swimming pattern derived from its tail morphology. The species was previously misidentified as Dasyatis chrysonota in South Africa and as Dasyatis pastinaca in Europe, due to similarities in disc length and width and pectoral fin coloration. Differences include the marbled stingray's yellowish surface with blue blotches versus the brown to olive or grey coloration of the common stingray, as well as differences in snout angle and snout-to-vent length. Cowley and Compagno highlighted that the marbled stingray is a Northern hemisphere subspecies of Dasyatis chrysonota, with a slightly narrower angular snout.

Reader's Guide

The marbled stingray is significant as a demersal species inhabiting temperate coastal waters, found on sandy and muddy bottoms and near rocky reefs. It is often part of bycatch from bottom-focused fisheries, including small-scale fisheries, which can negatively affect its populations. There have been no successful reports of this species being kept in captivity; it is known only from the wild. Research has examined fatty acid composition across muscle, liver, and gonadal tissues of Dasyatis marmorata, Rhinobatos cemiculus, and Rhinoptera marginata, finding about 50 different types, with composition differing significantly by species and sex. The species' bright blue blotches are considered warning signs reflecting its toxicity and harmful poison to human health.

Did You Know?

• The marbled stingray has bright blue blotches on a golden background that are considered warning signs of its toxicity.
• The species has a gestation period of 3–4 months and produces 4 juveniles per litter each year.
• No successful reports exist of this species being kept in captivity; it is only known from the wild.