Family : Plesiobatidae (Deepwater stingray)
Order : Rajiformes  (skates and rays)
Class : Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays)
Fishbase Name : Deepwater stingray
Fish Name : Plesiobatis daviesi
Max size : 270 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 3263)
Environment : bathydemersal ; depth range 44 - 780 m
Climate : deep-water; 33°N - 33°S
Global Importance : fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming fecundityDistribution : Indo-Pacific: South Africa, Mozambique, southern India, east to the Philippines (Ref. 5281), north to Japan and south to Australia. Also reported from the Hawaiian Islands.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0. A giant plain stingray with a broadly pointed snout, small eyes and a round disc; tail short with a long caudal fin and a narrow sting; upper surface covered with denticles (Ref. 5578). Grey-black to brownish or purplish-brown above, white below; rear edges of pelvic fins and tail grey; disc edges black, and sting light (Ref. 5578).
Biology : Found on the outer shelf and upper slope (Ref. 5578), on soft bottoms (Ref. 9914) at depths of 275-680 m (Ref.58048). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on small pelagic fish, eels, crabs, shrimp, lobsters, cephalopods and polychaete worms (Ref. 5578). The specimen taken from a depth of 44 m was caught off Mozambique (Ref. 9914). Its sting is long and can inflict a painful wound if handled. Caught occasionally by demersal longline fisheries in deepwater. Utilized for its meat, but not of a particularly high value (Ref.58048)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : venomous
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Nishida, K.. 1990. (Ref. 7444)

India country information
Common Names : [ No common name ]
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses