Myliobatis australis

Eagle ray
Myliobatis australis
Myliobatis australis, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Tom Davis

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

The upper surface has numerous blue spots and crescents arranged in a regular pattern across an olive-green background. Eagle rays are sometimes seen foraging across estuarine sandflats for crabs and molluscs in water so shallow that the wings protrude above the water surface.


Information

Max Size: 120 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 12.1-23.8°C

Depth: 0-85m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Infrequent (6.4% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Few (2 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney