Blackspotted Whipray

The black-spotted whipray can grow to 80 cm (31 in) across and 1.8 m (5.9 ft) long; reports of rays 1 m (3.3 ft) or more across are likely in error. It has a diamond-shaped, relatively thin pectoral fin disc approximately 1.1–1.2 times wider than long. The outer corners of the disc are fairly angular, and the leading margins are nearly straight. The snout is triangular and forms a broadly obtuse angle with a barely protruding, pointed tip. The eyes are small and immediately followed by larger, oval spiracles. The long, slender nostrils have a short, skirt-shaped curtain of skin between them; the posterior margin of the curtain is concave on either side and finely fringed. The mouth is strongly bow-shaped and contains a row of four papillae (nipple-like structures) across the floor. The small, blunt teeth number 41–49 rows in the upper jaw and 40–50 rows in the lower jaw. The pelvic fins are small and somewhat narrow, with a curving posterior margin; males have stout claspers. The very thin, gently tapering whip-like tail measures 2.1–2.7 times as long as the disc is wide, and lacks fin folds. One or two slender stinging spines are present atop the tail; many individuals have the sting missing. Behind the sting, there is a deep ventral groove and prominent lateral ridges running to the tip of the tail. …

The black-spotted whipray is found widely off northern Australia from Shark Bay in Western Australia and Moreton Bay in Queensland, including the Timor Sea, and is particularly abundant in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It has also been reported from off southern New Guinea. This bottom-dwelling species inhabits coastal waters 1–141 m (3.3–462.6 ft) deep, favoring sandy habitats, and tends to be found farther from shore than the brown whipray. In Shark Bay, it is found in greater numbers during the warm season than the cold.

Over 90% of the black-spotted whipray's diet consists of crustaceans. In the Gulf of Carpentaria, it is a major predator of penaeid prawns, which constitute over half of its diet. Shrimp are the predominant prey of young rays under 23 cm (9.1 in) across, while stomatopods and crabs become more important with age. For rays off Queensland and in the Torres Strait, polychaete worms constitute an important secondary food source to crustaceans. This species has also been known to take bony fishes. Like other stingrays, the black-spotted whipray is aplacental viviparous, with females nourishing their young with nutrient-rich histotroph ("uterine milk"). Females have a single functionary ovary and uterus (on the left), and produce litters of 1–3 pups. The newborns measure 17–19 cm (6.7–7.5 in) across; both sexes mature at about 46–50 cm (18–20 in) across. The growth rate is relatively low, with females growing much more slowly than males.