Common Name: Smooth Stingray

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific region, from Mozambique and South Africa to New Zealand and southern Australia. In Australia recorded from the North West Shelf region of Western Australia south through the Great Australian Bight, north through New South Wales to southern Queensland, also Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents estuaries to brackish water, offshore to 476 m deep, often 0 – 200 m. Prefers soft sediment bottoms.

Additional Notes: Very large dark body with broadly angular snout and pectoral disc. Tail is thick based and approximately the same length as the body, thorns when present, on base before one or two stings. Dorsal surface generally smooth, row of white spots on flank either side of head. Sometimes curious and may be easily approached. Often seen in company of Slender Suckerfish. Feed on fishes, bivalves, crustaceans and squid. Grows to 4.3 m long and 1.8 m wide, weighing up to 200 kg at least. Previously known as Dasyatis brevicaudata.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.28.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://fishbase.ca/summary/Bathytoshia-brevicaudata.html. Accessed 30/09/2018.