Pink whipray
A large, gregarious stingray of Indo-Pacific coral reefs.
The pink whipray (Pateobatis fai) is a type of stingray belonging to the Dasyatidae family. Its range across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from southern Africa to Polynesia, is broad but not precisely defined. This bottom-dwelling ray typically lives in shallow waters less than 70 meters deep, favoring sandy areas near coral reefs. Individuals tend to stay loyal to specific locations. Its pectoral fin disc is diamond-shaped and wider than long, with a broad-angled snout and an extremely long, whip-like tail that lacks fin folds. Only a few small thorns appear on its back, and its color is a uniform brownish or grayish pink, turning much darker past the tail sting. This large ray can grow to 1.8 meters across and over 5 meters in length.
Gregarious by nature, the pink whipray is known to form large groups, both active and resting, and will associate with other large ray species. Its diet consists mainly of prawns, but it also eats other bottom-dwelling invertebrates and bony fish. Reproduction is aplacental viviparous, meaning the developing young are nourished by histotroph, or "uterine milk," produced by the mother. Across much of its range, significant numbers of pink whiprays are caught accidentally by various fishing gear and sold for their meat, skin, and cartilage. The species also matters to ecotourism, as it is attracted to visitors who offer bait. In 2009, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed it as Least Concern, citing its wide distribution, which includes relatively protected areas like northern Australia. However, its population is likely declining due to heavy fishing pressure, and since 2016 it has been assessed as Vulnerable.
**Taxonomy** The pink whipray was first described by American ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and Alvin Seale in a 1906 volume of the *Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries*, based on a specimen 37 cm across collected near Apia, Samoa. The species name *fai* means "stingray" in the native languages of Samoa, Tonga, Futuna, and Tahiti. Another common name is the Tahitian stingray. In 2004, Mabel Manjaji grouped *H. fai* with *H. gerrardi*, *H. jenkinsii*, *H. leoparda*, *H. toshi*, *H. uarnak*, and *H. undulata* into the *uarnak* species complex.
**Description** The pectoral fin disc of the pink whipray is diamond-shaped and thick at the center, measuring about 1.1 to 1.2 times wider than long.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Pateobatis
- Species
- fai
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The pink whipray was described by American ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and Alvin Seale in 1906, based on a specimen 37 cm across collected off Apia, Samoa. The specific epithet fai means 'stingray' in the native languages of Samoa, Tonga, Futuna, and Tahiti. Another common name is Tahitian stingray. In 2004, Mabel Manjaji grouped it with several other species in the uarnak species complex.
The pectoral fin disc is diamond-shaped and wider than long, with a broad-angled snout and a very long, whip-like tail without fin folds. It is uniform grayish to brownish pink above, becoming dark gray to black on the tail past the sting. Adults have small dermal denticles and small, sharp thorns on the midline. Juveniles are either smooth-skinned or have a sparser covering of flat, heart-shaped denticles.
This species is aplacental viviparous, with the mother supplying histotroph ('uterine milk') to developing embryos. Newborns measure 55–60 cm across. Males reach sexual maturity at 1.1–1.2 m across. Known parasites include several monogeneans, a tapeworm, and an isopod.
Reader's Guide
The pink whipray is of significance to both fisheries and ecotourism. Across much of its range, substantial numbers are caught incidentally by a variety of fishing gear and marketed for meat, skin, and cartilage. Fishing activity in Southeast Asia is intense and largely unregulated, and this large ray may be more vulnerable to depletion than smaller relatives due to its slower reproductive rate. The population in the Arafura Sea is thought to have been particularly affected by an Indonesian fishery targeting wedgefishes. Off northern Australia, bycatch levels have likely fallen since the use of turtle excluder devices and bycatch reduction devices became compulsory in 2000.
The species is valuable to ecotourism at sites in the Maldives, French Polynesia, and elsewhere, where rays are attracted to visitors with bait. The government of the Maldives banned all exports of ray products in 1995 to preserve ray ecotourism. A 2008 study of Moorea whiprays found a negative effect of ecotourism in the form of bite and impact injuries from artificially high ray density and boat traffic. The IUCN assessed the pink whipray as Vulnerable overall in 2016, though it has a wide distribution that includes refuge regions such as off northern Australia.
Did You Know?
- The pink whipray can reach over 5 m (16 ft) in total length.
- It forms large active and resting aggregations, sometimes piling atop one another.
- The species was originally described in 1906 by David Starr Jordan and Alvin Seale.
More in Reef Sharks and Rays, Part 3 1-24
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