Jenkins' Whipray

Pateobatis jenkinsii

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Pateobatis
Species: Pateobatis jenkinsii

Jenkins' whipray (Pateobatis jenkinsii) is a medium to large stingray up to about 1.5 m across, with a rhomboid, plain brown to greyish disc and a distinctive band of enlarged, pearl-like thorns running along the middle of the back toward the tail.

It lives on soft, sandy and muddy bottoms in coastal waters and near reefs, feeding on crustaceans and other bottom invertebrates. The species is listed as Endangered due to heavy fishing pressure across Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines Jenkins' whipray occurs in coastal waters and is occasionally encountered by divers on sandy areas near reefs. It is similar to the pink whipray but can be told apart by the row of thorns on its back.

Photo: Justin Philbois, CC0 1.0, via iNaturalist