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Leopard Whipray
Himantura undulata (Bleeker, 1852)
Leopard Whipray. Photo: C. Bento © Australian Museum.
The Leopard Whipray can be recognised by its pattern of leopard-like spots, and its long, thin tail which usually has one sting (spine).
This species grows to a length of at least 4.1 m and a width of 1.4 m.
It lives on the inner continental shelf in tropical waters, and occurs throughout much of south-east Asia and Taiwan.
In Australia it is known from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia to the Torres Strait, Queensland.
The specimen in the image was kindly donated by Sydney Aquarium. The fish was bitten by one of the sharks in the tank and died from the wound. The bite mark is visible at the bottom of the image. The image has been retouched to remove damage that the fish received after it died.
Further Reading
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513, Pl. 1-84.
