Southern Eagle Ray

During the past weeks I have enjoyed snorkelling in the Kingston coral lagoons and I captured photographs of a Southern Eagle Ray in Slaughter Bay as it fed on the sandy floor near the shore. Slaughter Bay is a sheltered lagoon at Kingston with coral reef and subtropical fish. There are easy steps down into the sandy bay with a few rocks on the foreshore and the area is opposite the Slaughter Bay changing rooms and public toilet facilities.

I decided to research information about these beautiful Eagle Rays which we regularly see in the coral lagoon. The Eagle Rays can be seen on the lagoon sandy floor sometimes they are also partly covered with sand. It is always wonderful to watch them swimming gracefully through the bay. I always enjoy capturing images or videos for these beautiful rays.

The Eagle Ray which I photographed on 31^st March 2022, was not very big and I loved the colours with blue patches on its back. I took videos to share on Facebook and it was interesting to watch it feeding, almost looking like a vacuum cleaner working its way across the sand looking for food.

https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3545#moreinfo

The Southern Eagle Ray, Myliobatis tenuicaudatus, Hector 1877.

Summary:

A large brownish, greyish, greenish or yellowish eagle ray with a variable pattern of greyish-blue spots and bars, and a venomous spine on the whip-like tail.
Until recently, the Southern Eagle Ray, was called Myliobatis australis in Australia (a junior synonym of M. tenuicaudatus).

Distribution:

Widespread in southern Australia, from Moreton Bay, Queensland (and possibly further north), to Shark Bay, Western Australia; also Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere, the species occurs in New Zealand.
Inhabits tidal flats in estuaries and harbours, shallow seagrass embayments, rocky reefs, and sandflats, at depths mostly above 50 m.

Habitat:

Seagrass beds, sand flats

Features:

Disc wider than long, with angular tips; snout blunt, eyes on sides of head, spiracles conspicuous; leading edges of pectoral fins originating below eyes. Dorsal fin small, originating just behind trailing margin of pelvic fin; tail long, whip-like with a venomous spine.

Size:

Brownish, grey, olive-green or yellowish above, paler below; upper surface with a variable pattern of grey-blue spots and bars.

Feeding:

Feeds on bivalve molluscs, polycheate worms and crustaceans.

Biology:

Viviparous (matrotrophic) species with litters of 2-20 (average 6) young per breeding cycle with birth occurring in summer months. Size at birth 20-30 cm DW.

Fisheries:

Taken as bycatch in demersal gillnet, setline, longline, beach and danish seine fisheries, and by demersal prawn and scallop trawlers. Although not directly targeted, Southern Eagle Rays are increasingly being retained and sold for consumption.

Species Citation:

Myliobatis tenuicaudatus Hector, 1877, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 9(62): 468, Pl. 10. Type locality: Wellington Harbour, New Zealand.

The above information I have found on the internet, and I am sure there are many other informative sites with images and information about the Southern Eagle Ray. Here are a few of the images I took, plus I have posted videos on my Facebook page , Norfolk Island photos.

Betty Matthews

April 2022