Rays Codexery

Niger stingray

Last updated

It was originally described in 1962 by Alfred Stauch and M. Blanc.[1] The species is assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassChondrichthyes
  4. SubclassElasmobranchii
  5. OrderMyliobatiformes
  6. FamilyDasyatidae
  7. GenusFontitrygon
  8. SpeciesFontitrygon garouaensis

Named by (Stauch & Blanc, 1962)

Close relatives

Other species of Fontitrygon with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Niger stingray (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 1524748 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Critically Endangered (CR)

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR▲ this species
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2021

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Niger stingray and a personA 0.4 m long niger stingray drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.4 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.4 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Niger stingray

Where the niger stingray has been recorded

Where the niger stingray has been recordedPlaces named in the text; marked places: Garoua, Sanaga River, Lagos LagoonGarouaSanaga RiverLagos Lagoon

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biology and range

Males mature at under 26.4 cm across in the Sanaga River.[3] The species has only been found in fresh water.[4] The pectoral fin disk is almost round, with its length exceeding its width by roughly 5%.[5] Compared to all other stingrays in the same geographic area, this ray's disk is notably flatter.[5]

The upper surface of the body is a uniform brown or gray, while the underside is white.[5] The largest recorded disk width for this species is 40 cm.[5] No confirmed sightings of this ray exist for Lagos Lagoon.[4]

What the specialist sources record

The World Register of Marine Species accepts the name Fontitrygon garouaensis (Stauch & Blanc, 1962).[6] GBIF holds 35 occurrence records for this taxon.[7] Stauch and Blanc originally assigned this species to Potamotrygon.[1] The name garouaensis was chosen because the type specimen was captured near Garoua, a city in Cameroon.[1]

Based on a 1975 study of new specimens by Thomas Thorson and Donald Watson, the species was determined to belong to the genus Dasyatis.[1] Among the Hausa people, the ray's tail spine is called kunaman ruwa, which translates to "water scorpion".[2] When caught as bycatch, this stingray is marketed either fresh or smoked for people to eat.[2]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Niger stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thorson, T.B., "Reassignment of the African Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon garouaensis, to the Genus Dasyatis, on Physiologic and Morphologic Grounds", Copeia, December 31, 1975, p. 701–712 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Niger stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thorson, T.B., "Reassignment of the African Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon garouaensis, to the Genus Dasyatis, on Physiologic and Morphologic Grounds", Copeia, December 31, 1975, p. 701–712; Jabado, R.W., "Fontitrygon garouaensis", 2021; Taniuchi, T., "Occurrence of two species of stingrays of the genus Dasyatis (Chondrichthyes) in the Sanaga Basin, Cameroun", Environmental Biology of Fishes, 1991, p. 95–100 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Niger stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Thorson, T.B., "Reassignment of the African Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon garouaensis, to the Genus Dasyatis, on Physiologic and Morphologic Grounds", Copeia, December 31, 1975, p. 701–712; Jabado, R.W., "Fontitrygon garouaensis", 2021; Thorson, T.B., "Reassignment of the African Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon garouaensis, to the Genus Dasyatis, on Physiologic and Morphologic Grounds", Copeia, December 31, 1975, p. 701–712; Taniuchi, T., "Occurrence of two species of stingrays of the genus Dasyatis (Chondrichthyes) i en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Niger stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jabado, R.W., "Fontitrygon garouaensis", 2021; Taniuchi, T., "Occurrence of two species of stingrays of the genus Dasyatis (Chondrichthyes) in the Sanaga Basin, Cameroun", Environmental Biology of Fishes, 1991, p. 95–100; Thorson, T.B., "Reassignment of the African Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon garouaensis, to the Genus Dasyatis, on Physiologic and Morphologic Grounds", Copeia, December 31, 1975, p. 701–712 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Niger stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thorson, T.B., "Reassignment of the African Freshwater Stingray, Potamotrygon garouaensis, to the Genus Dasyatis, on Physiologic and Morphologic Grounds", Copeia, December 31, 1975, p. 701–712; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. World Register of Marine Species, Fontitrygon garouaensis (AphiaID 1524748). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  7. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Fontitrygon garouaensis (taxon key 9530349). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Niger stingray (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Dasyatidae)

Atlantic stingray Hypanus sabinus, Black-spotted whipray Maculabatis astra, Blackedge whipray Himantura marginata, Blue stingray Dasyatis chrysonota

More in Rays

Pearl stingrayPincushion raySharpsnout stingrayBennett's stingrayBlackish stingrayChinese stingrayDwarf black stingrayEstuary stingrayIzu stingrayMekong freshwater stingrayRed stingrayYantai stingray

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. To which genus does the Niger stingray belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Fontitrygon.

2. Who first scientifically described the Niger stingray?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Alfred Stauch.

3. To which biological family does the Niger stingray belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Dasyatidae.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →