Round whipray
A stingray species now endangered, found in the Malay Archipelago.
The round whipray (Maculabatis pastinacoides) belongs to the stingray family Dasyatidae. Its range centers on the Malay Archipelago, with confirmed populations in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand, and possible presence in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In 2004, the IUCN Red List classified it as vulnerable; the most recent assessment in 2020 upgraded its status to endangered. Although no direct population counts exist for this species, data from fisheries targeting similar whiprays in the Malay Archipelago point to a decline in round whipray numbers.
**Habitat** This ray lives near the seafloor in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, from surface waters down to a maximum depth of 60 meters (200 feet).
**Morphology and behavior** Round whiprays give birth to live young, with newborns measuring 15–16 cm (5.9–6.3 in) across the disc. Males reach maturity at a disc width of 43–46 cm (17–18 in), while females mature at about 58 cm (23 in). Adults can grow to a maximum disc width of 86 cm (34 in). They reproduce through pairing with embrace, producing only one pup per litter. Each generation lives roughly 20 years.
**Human intervention** These rays are caught as bycatch in both large- and small-scale fisheries. No specific conservation efforts target the round whipray, but regulations limiting overharvesting by large fisheries may help populations of this bycatch species recover.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Maculabatis
- Species
- pastinacoides
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The round whipray is primarily located in the Malay Archipelago, specifically in parts of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand, with possible presence in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It prefers to live close to the floor in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, from surface waters down to a maximum depth of 60 m (200 ft).
Round whiprays give birth to live young, with offspring disc width at birth ranging from 15–16 cm (5.9–6.3 in). Males reach maturity at 43–46 cm (17–18 in) disc width, while females mature at roughly 58 cm (23 in). Adults can reach a maximum disc width of 86 cm (34 in). They reproduce by pairing with embrace, producing only one pup per litter, and each generation lives for about 20 years.
Human intervention includes the species being caught as bycatch in large- and small-scale fisheries. While no specific conservation efforts exist for round whiprays, measures to limit large fisheries from overharvesting may help the species recover.
Reader's Guide
The round whipray's significance lies in its status as an indicator of the health of demersal ray populations in the Malay Archipelago. The IUCN Red List assessments show a shift from vulnerable in 2004 to endangered in 2020, based on inferred population declines from data on similar whipray species caught in fisheries. Although no direct population size data exists for round whiprays, the decline in similar species suggests a parallel trend. The species' life history—slow reproduction with one pup per litter and a 20-year generation length—makes it particularly susceptible to overfishing. Conservation measures that limit large-scale fisheries in the region may indirectly benefit round whiprays by reducing bycatch mortality. The species' legacy is tied to the broader challenge of managing bycatch in tropical fisheries, where data-poor species like the round whipray require precautionary approaches to prevent further decline.
Did You Know?
- The round whipray was assessed as vulnerable in 2004 and endangered in 2020 by the IUCN Red List.
- Females mature at a disc width of roughly 58 cm, while males mature at 43–46 cm.
- Round whiprays produce only one pup per litter.
More in Reef Sharks and Rays, Part 3 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced