Bengal whipray (Brevitrygon walga)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Brevitrygon walga · Authority: (Müller & Henle, 1841) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 1042826.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Dasyatis walga (Müller & Henle, 1841); Himantura walga (Müller & Henle, 1841); Trygon walga Müller & Henle, 1841.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1042826 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 20.299999237060547 cm · Depth range: 0–40 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: other · Vulnerability index: 90 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Demersal on insular and continental shelves, and occasionally found in coastal embayments (Ref. 58048); primarily in shallow water from near the shore in estuaries to nearby fishing grounds in bays (Ref. 130662). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Caught in large quantities as by-catch of bottom trawl and trammel net fisheries. Utilized for its meat, but of limited value due to its very small size (Ref.58048).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 15484) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Brevitrygon-walga.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

110 georeferenced occurrence records for Brevitrygon walga are published through GBIF from 8 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 20 distinct locations from a sample of 110 records, omitting 12 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Bangladesh (70); Malaysia (16); Viet Nam (7); India (6); Thailand (5); Iran (Islamic Republic of) (3); Singapore (2); Indonesia (1).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 9623595) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=9623595&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1042826 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Brevitrygon walga (Müller & Henle, 1841) as Near Threatened (code NT). 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 104176764) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/104176764/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 9623595) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/9623595/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The dwarf whipray has a maximum length of 45 cm. The disc width is commonly about 24 cm. In outline it is oval with a bluntly-pointed snout.

The whip-like tail is longer than the body and lacks the skin fold found in some related species. Females have a shorter tail than males, with a bulbous tip, and both sexes have four to six erectile, venomous spines at the base of the tail. The dwarf whipray is a uniform pinkish or beige colour and has been mistaken for a horseshoe crab in turbid water.

Distribution and habitat

The dwarf whipray is found in the western central Pacific Ocean. Its range extends from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. It has been recorded from India, but may have been confused there with the scaly whipray (Brevitrygon imbricata). It occurs close to the sandy seabed on the inner continental shelf at depths usually less than 50 m.

Biology

The dwarf whipray reaches maturity at a length of about 17 cm. Mating occurs when the male grasps the female with their ventral surfaces in contact. This fish is viviparous, giving birth to one or two young at a time. The gestation period is not known, but before birth, the pups are fed on secretions from the uterine wall, a process known as histotrophy.

Use

The dwarf whipray is caught, largely as bycatch, over most of its wide range. Trawling for batoids is common in many places and trammel netting, in which the fish get entangled in the fine-meshed central net of a three-part net, is used over much of its range. The fish is used for human consumption, but is not specifically targeted, probably because of its small size.

Status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the conservation status of the dwarf whipray as being "near-threatened". The organisation considers the fish is experiencing intense fishing pressure over much of its range and is being over-exploited. Its abundance appears to be falling and the size of the fish caught also seems to be declining.

Source: Wikipedia: Brevitrygon walga — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brevitrygon_walga (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.