Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Honeycomb whipray (Himantura undulata), recorded as Endangered
Honeycomb whipray (Himantura undulata). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Honeycomb whipray

Himantura undulata

Honeycomb whipray is a stingray in the family Dasyatidae (order Myliobatiformes) — Himantura undulata, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Himantura undulata
Taxonomy
Elasmobranchii · Myliobatiformes · Dasyatidae · Himantura

Appearance

The tail is thin and whip-like, measuring about twice as long as the disc, and lacks fin folds. Usually a single serrated, stinging spine is placed on the dorsal surface, relatively close to the tail base. At the center of the disc, there is an enlarged, round "pearl" denticle trailed by 2–3 smaller thorns along the midline. There are no enlarged denticles on the base of the tail.

Range and habitat

The range of the honeycomb whipray is not well-defined due to confusion with other species. It seems to occur widely in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, from India to the Indo-Malay archipelago, but not off Australia (all Australian records of H. Undulata appear to be H. Leoparda). This benthic species inhabits inshore waters and prefers habitats with soft substrates, among them sandy and muddy flats, lagoons, and brackish estuaries and mangrove swamps.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet and breeding

Rays feed on the bottom or in open water depending on the family. Nets and shallow-water fisheries are the usual human contact.

Sharks and rays grow slowly and have few young. A fishery that treats them as bycatch can empty a coastal form.

In crisis

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the honeycomb whipray as endangered, as it faces heavy fishing pressure and habitat degradation across much of its range.

Honeycomb whipray is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Honeycomb whipray, Wikidata item Q293116. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Leopard whipray (Himantura leoparda), recorded as EndangeredEN

Leopard whipray

Himantura leoparda
Photograph of Reticulate whipray (Himantura uarnak), recorded as EndangeredEN

Reticulate whipray

Himantura uarnak
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus

Quick answers

What is Honeycomb whipray?
Honeycomb whipray is a stingray in the family Dasyatidae (order Myliobatiformes) — Himantura undulata.
What is the conservation status of Honeycomb whipray?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Himantura undulata. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Honeycomb whipray live?
This benthic species inhabits inshore waters and prefers habitats with soft substrates, among them sandy and muddy flats, lagoons, and brackish estuaries and mangrove swamps.
Why is Honeycomb whipray in crisis?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the honeycomb whipray as endangered, as it faces heavy fishing pressure and habitat degradation across much of its range.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Himantura undulata?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Honeycomb whipray a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.