Large Stingray ID required

Hi Folks,

Anyone any good at IDing stingrays? This biggy was almost 2m across, shot back in 2002ish I think in the Gulf of Masirah, Oman. Having filed it away and not thought much about it, I then saw a doco about Mozambique, saying this was the first time Small-Eyed Stingrays (Dasyatis microps) had every been filmed at that this was the only place they'd ever been seen alive. Of course, my one is probably just something different and common as muck......

Anyway here is the video I shot in Oman:

Compare with a video from Mozambique:

This was not the only one we saw, there were several at the surface, often shadowed by a smaller ray (male following a female?) and I've seen them on several occasions.

I agree with Dasyatis microps, very nice find The general colouration is right and the markings on upper disc. Disc shape and proportions

also match, as does the markedly tapered tail beyond the sting. Only the location is an anomaly, as in not previously recorded, that I could find.

That's not a big one for me as its assumed to be a semi-pelagic and has been sighted in many other parts of Indian Ocean from Northern

Australia to Mozambique as you mentioned.

Cheers,
Jim.

Sharkwatch Arabia were asking for sightings of this species on their FB page- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.201791106501285.58828.116357455044651&type=3

Cheers,

Jim.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the thoughts. I'll get in touch with Sharkwatch Arabia, I actually already know many of those involved.

Just found out it's mentioned in Fishes of Oman by Randall, as possibly having been described in Oman in 1944, but misidentified as Trygon gerradi

Cheers

Fergus