Kingdom Animalia Order Myliobatiformes Genus Rhinoptera Higher classification Rhinoptera | Phylum Chordata Family Myliobatidae Scientific name Rhinoptera brasiliensis Rank Species | |
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Similar Rhinoptera, Batoids, Rhinopteridae, Chondrichthyes, Flapnose ray | ||
The Brazilian cownose ray (Rhinoptera brasiliensis), also commonly called the Ticon cownose ray, is a species of fish in the Rhinopteridae family. It is an endangered species, endemic to the coasts of Brazil. Its natural habitats are shallow seas, estuarine waters, and intertidal flats.
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Morphology
Males tend to range in size from 78 to 91 cm disc width (DW) with a brown back and white or light yellow belly. Females are larger, ranging from 77 to 102 cm DW with similar coloring. The Ticon cownose ray very closely resembles its cousin the cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) in both size and coloring. So close is the similarity that the only way to differentiate the two is by the number of teeth. R. brasiliensis have a broader mouth allowing for three central rows of broad teeth as opposed to R. bonasus one central row.
Reproduction
The Brazilian cownose ray is ovoviviparous with the embryo developing in an egg kept within the female. The female only carries one embryo at a time. This low fecundity leads to a low species resiliency with a minimum population doubling time of 4.5 to 14 years.
Range and Habitat
This species is endemic to an 1800 km, restricted stretch of coastal shelf between Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The ray migrates to the southern 700 km of its range during the summer months, and is found in the shallow coastal waters just off Rio Grande do Sul.