Blackish stingray (Hemitrygon navarrae)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Elasmobranchii · Order: Myliobatiformes · Family: Dasyatidae · Genus: Hemitrygon.

Accepted name: Hemitrygon navarrae · Authority: (Steindachner, 1892) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 1042852.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Dasyatis navarrae (Steindachner, 1892); Trygon navarrae Steindachner, 1892.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1042852 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Hemitrygon navarrae. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 32 cm · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: other · Vulnerability index: 90 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: A poorly known species; attains at least 32 cm DW, mature at this size (Ref. 114953). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 54626) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hemitrygon-navarrae.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Hemitrygon navarrae (Steindachner, 1892) as Vulnerable (code VU). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 161741) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161741/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 9332737) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/9332737/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Austrian zoologist Franz Steindachner originally described the blackish stingray as Trygon navarrae, in an 1892 volume of the scientific journal Denkschriften der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Classe der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. The type specimen is a male 32 cm across, collected from Shanghai, China.

Distribution and habitat

The blackish stingray is found in the Yellow, Bohai, and East China Seas, to as far south as Taiwan. This bottom-dwelling species is found in coastal waters, and has been recorded from the estuary of the Yellow River.

Description

The blackish stingray has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc almost as long as wide, with slightly sinuous leading margins, narrowly rounded outer corners, and almost straight trailing margins. The triangular, projecting snout comprises about one-fourth the disc length and bears 2–3 rows of enlarged pores along the midline.

The eyes are small and closely followed by a pair of larger spiracles. The mouth is bow-shaped, with three papillae across the floor. There are 40 upper tooth rows and 37 lower tooth rows; the teeth of adult males are pointed while those of juveniles and females are blunt.

The tail is whip-like and bears a stinging spine on the dorsal surface, as well as both upper and lower fin folds; the ventral fold measures half the disc length. There are 4–6 rows of small tubercles between the eyes, a narrow strip of tubercles running down the center of back to the base of the tail, and three enlarged tubercles in front of the tail spine. The coloration is a plain dark brown above and whitish below.

Biology and ecology

Little is known of the natural history of the blackish stingray. Known parasites of this species include the copepod Caligus dasyaticus and the monogenean Heterocotyle chinensis. It is presumably aplacental viviparous like other members of its family.

Human interactions

Many blackish stingrays are captured incidentally by commercial bottom trawlers off the Chinese coast. It is one of the three most common stingray species sold for human consumption in China, though it is not highly valued. The blackish stingray is subject to intense fishing pressure within its range, and habitat degradation from coastal development may pose an additional threat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as vulnerable.

Source: Wikipedia: Blackish stingray — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackish_stingray (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.