Mumburarr whipray (Urogymnus acanthobothrium)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Urogymnus acanthobothrium · Authority: Last, White & Kyne, 2016 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 1006793.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1006793 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 103 cm · Depth range: 2–20 m · Habitat zone: benthopelagic · Body shape: other · Vulnerability index: 90 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Juveniles were recorded from lower reaches of rivers at depths of 2.2-8.7 m; salinity 14.6-33.1; turbidity 367->1000 NTU. Subadult specimens were from depths of 10-20 m. An adult female (161.0 cm DW, 174.0 cm disc length) aborted a late embryo which was estimated to be ca. 26.5 cm DW on capture. Juveniles (5) measured 39.o - 67.2 cm DW, 43.0-72.0 cm DL, while a late adolescent male measured 103.0 cm DW, This stingray could be traditionally hunted for food and the caudal sting can be used as a traditional knife. (Ref. 110274).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 68054) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Urogymnus-acanthobothrium.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Urogymnus acanthobothrium Last, White & Kyne 2016 as Data Deficient (code DD). 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 200322937) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/200322937/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 8880601) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/8880601/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The first tissue sample was collected in 1999 by scientists funded by the American National Science Foundation, who were researching fish tapeworms. Further specimens were collected under the (Australian) National Environmental Research Program and by observers from the National Fisheries Authority in Papua New Guinea. It was formally described in 2016.

Mumburarr, meaning 'stingray', was chosen to recognise the assistance of native traditional landowowners in locating specimens. It is a term from the Limilngan language used by the Minitja people of the West Alligator River region. The epithet acanthobothrium recognises the role of the parasite project in discovering this whipray. They found four species of Acanthobothrium cestodes unique to this host.

The ray is very large, up to 1.6 m wide. Compared to the related mangrove whipray, Urogymnus granulatus, it has a longer snout and tail, and the snout is more angular. It lacks the white flecks on the upper (dorsal) surface and black margin on the lower (ventral) disc that are seen in the mangrove whipray. Individuals vary from grey-white or grey-brown to yellow-brown above. The holotype specimen was yellow-brown when freshly collected. Unlike other species in the genus, the mumburarr and mangrove whiprays have tails that are uniformly white past the sting, contrasting with their body colour.

The species inhabits marine and brackish estuarine waters in northern Australia and southern Papua, at depths of 2 to 60 m. It has been found in the Arafura Sea off the Wessel Islands, in rivers of Kakadu National Park in Northern Territory, in the Cambridge Gulf and Ord River in Western Australia, and in the Gulf of Papua. Its range overlaps that of the porcupine ray, U. asperrimus, and the freshwater whipray, U. dalyensis syn. Himantura dalyensis.

Source: Wikipedia: Mumburarr whipray — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumburarr_whipray (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.