Eastern shovelnose stingaree

The eastern shovelnose stingaree (Trygonoptera imitata) is a species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, endemic to coastal waters off southeastern Australia, excluding Tasmania. This species has a rounded pectoral findisc wider than long, a fleshy snout forming an obtuse angle, and a relatively short tail terminating in a caudal fin. Its nostrils have prominent lobes on their outside rims and a skirt-shaped curtain of skin with a strongly fringed trailing margin between them. The dorsal coloration is mostly plain brownish, occasionally with a scattering of darker and/or lighter spots. One of the larger stingarees, it can grow to at least 80 cm (31 in) long.
Preying mainly on polychaete worms, the eastern shovelnose stingaree is rather common in very shallow, coastal bays over fine substrates, though it does range to a depth of 120 m (390 ft) or more. Reproduction is aplacental viviparous, with the females supplying their unborn young with histotroph ("uterine milk"). The gestation period for the embryos lasts 4–7 months, though this is preceded by a prolonged period during which the eggs are maintained under suspended development. Females produce litters of up to seven pups annually, from late February to April. This species is caught incidentally by inshore commercial fisheries using seine nets and bottom trawls, and may be additionally impacted by habitat degradation and invasive species. Its numbers are known to have declined in Port Phillip, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it as Near Threatened.
Category:Animals
Category:Creatures