Spotted round ray

Spotted round ray
Spotted round ray in Bahía de Loreto National Park
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Urotrygonidae
Genus: Urobatis
Species:
U. maculatus
Binomial name
Urobatis maculatus
(Garman, 1913)
Synonyms

Urolophus maculatus Garman, 1913

Spotted round ray in the Gulf of California

Urobatis maculatus, known as the spotted round ray or Cortez round stingray, is a species of round ray, within the genus Urobatis, and of the family Urotrygonidae.[2] It is endemic to Mexico, with its natural habitats being shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, coral reefs, estuarine waters, intertidal marshes, and coastal saline lagoons.

Spotted round rays reach a length of 42 centimetres (17 in) TL.[3] The spotted round ray is ideal for captivity due to its hardiness and smaller size, and it is also a favorable candidate for breeding in aquaria.[4] It can be kept in a minimum 180 gallon aquarium with fine substrate, little décor, a bottom with much surface area (for sufficient swimming space), excellent filtration, protected internal tank equipment like heaters and filter intakes (by surrounding them with polyurethane foam barriers), and a secure lid.[4] In the aquarium trade, it may be confused with the Round stingray, Urobatis halleri, which in the hobby may be called the Cortez ray as well.[5]

The spotted round ray can be parasitized by the flatworm Pleorchis magniporus.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Pollom, R.; Bizzarro, J.; Burgos-Vázquez, M.I.; Avalos, C.; Herman, K.; Pérez Jiménez, J.C.; Sosa-Nishizaki, O. (2020). "Urobatis maculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T60110A124439208. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T60110A124439208.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ Moral-Flores, L.F.D.; Angulo, A.; López, M.I.; Bussing, W.A. (2015). "A new species of Urobatis (Myliobatiformes: Urotrygonidae) from the tropical Eastern Pacific". Revista de Biología Tropical. 63 (2): 501–514. doi:10.15517/rbt.v63i2.15746. hdl:10669/75287.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Urolophus maculatus". FishBase. February 2015 version.
  4. ^ a b Michael, Scott (2001). Aquarium Sharks & Rays. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H Publications, Inc.
  5. ^ (2010): cortez/round stingray care | Saltwaterfish.com. [1]. In: Saltwaterfish.com. [2]
  6. ^ Merlo-Serna, Aldo Iván; García-Prieto, Luis (15 Feb 2016). "A checklist of helminth parasites of Elasmobranchii in Mexico". ZooKeys (563): 73–128. doi:10.3897/zookeys.563.6067. PMC 4797213. PMID 27047240.
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