Striped stingaree

The striped stingaree (Trygonoptera ovalis) is a common but little-known species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, endemic to shallow, inshore waters off southwestern Australia.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species under Least Concern; it is seldom caught by fisheries due to its habitat preferences.

The striped stingaree was described by Peter Last and Martin Gomon in a 1987 issue of Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria; its specific epithet ovalis means "oval" in Latin and refers to its shape.

The type specimen, a female 21 cm (8.3 in) across, was trawled from the Great Australian Bight, south of Red Rocks Point, by the FRV Courageous on 3 March 1978.

The tail measures 75–100% as long as the disc and is oval in cross-section; it is slightly flattened at the base and terminates in a fairly large, deep, leaf-shaped caudal fin.

[5] The smoothly rounded, flexible margins of the striped stingaree's disc give it superior agility compared to most other rays, allowing it to dart unencumbered through structurally complex terrain and vegetation.

A few are caught incidentally by the small numbers of scallop and prawn trawlers operating within its range, but this species is largely shielded from their activities by its preference for rough terrain.