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Porcupine/Thorny Stingray
The Porcupine/Thorny Stingray - Urogymnus asperimus has pale gray to dark brown with numerous thorns on surface; scattering of white spots; ovate disc with humped central portion, tail about equal to disc length. Solitary, often partially buried in sand.
Saw this one partially buried in sandy bottom, quite large, easily 1.5 meter wide, was not able to get better picture to show the thorns on its back. They are considered rare among Stingray species and we were fortunate to see 2 of them during my recent trip to Maldives.
The porcupine ray is a rare species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. This bottom-dweller is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, as well as off West Africa. It favors sand, coral rubble, and seagrass habitats in inshore waters to a depth of 30 m.
