Dasyatis americana

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	RAJIFORMES	DASYATIDAE

Scientific Name:

Dasyatis americana

Species Authority:

Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928

Common Name/s:

English	–	Southern Stingray
French	–	Pastenague Américaine
Spanish	–	Raya Americana, Raya Chucho, Raya-látigo Americana

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Published:	2006
Assessor/s:	Grubbs, R.D., Snelson, F., Piercy, A., Rosa, R.S. & Furtado, M.
Reviewer/s:	Kyne, P.M. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: Dasyatis Americana is a coastal marine and estuarine species with a wide distribution in the Western Atlantic south from New Jersey (USA), through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, south to southeastern Brazil. It is associated with sand flats, seagrass beds and coral reefs at 0 to 53 m depth and is common to locally abundant in some regions. The species is taken as bycatch in various fisheries throughout its range and is harvested in some parts of South America. In some areas it is also an important ecotourism resource. The population appears healthy in the USA and, with no threats apparent, is assessed as Least Concern in that country. However, there is little information available on population trends and the impacts of fishing throughout the rest of its range and it is thus assessed as Data Deficient globally. Increasing artisanal fishing pressure in some regions of Brazil (which may mirror increases in other parts of South America) is of concern and catch monitoring in countries such as Brazil and Venezuela are a priority. Impacts on its inshore environment (including coral reefs) may also represent a threat.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	A coastal species that is widely distributed from New Jersey to Florida (USA), throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and bordering the northern coast of South America to southeastern Brazil. It is abundant in nearshore waters in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, especially along the west coast of Florida and is common during summer months in estuaries and coastal areas along the east coast of the U.S. It is common throughout most of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. In Brazil known from Santos, São Paulo, Bahia, northward from Paraíba, Ceará, and Pará and Amapá (Figueiredo 1977, Rosa 1987, Cunningham 1989, Gadig and Rosa 1993, Queiroz et al. 1993a, Gadig et al. 2000, Menni and Stehmann 2000). Also reported from the Brazilian oceanic islands of Atol das Rocas (Rosa and Moura 1997) and Fernando de Noronha (Mendes and Moura 1999), and from the reefs of Parcel Manuel Luiz in Maranhão (Rocha and Rosa 2001).
Countries:	Native: Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; French Guiana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; United States (Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia); Venezuela
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – northwest; Atlantic – western central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The species is taken occasionally in the VIMS (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) longline survey off the USA, near the northern edge of its range, but no population trends are evident from 1996 to 2003 (J. Musick et al. unpublished data).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	A coastal marine and estuarine benthic species associated with sand flats, seagrass beds, and coral reefs at depths of 0 to 53 m. Commonly buries in soft sediments. Litters of 2 to 10 pups are born at 17 to 34 cm disc width (DW), after a gestation of 4.5 to 7.5 months, and maturity is reached at 51 and 75 to 80 cm DW (males and females, respectively). Reproduction is biannual in captivity, annual in the wild. Maximum size is 150 cm DW (Henningsen 2000, McEachran and de Carvalho 2002, D. Grubbs and J. Musick unpublished data). The diet of this species has been studied in the Bahamas (Randall 1967, Gilliam and Sullivan 1993), Brazil (Queiroz et al. 1993) and the eastern USA (D. Grubbs, unpublished data) and consists of benthic and infaunal invertebrates and demersal teleosts. The most common prey are decapod crustaceans such as alphaeid, penaeid and callianasid shrimp and brachyuran crabs. Life history parameters Age at maturity (years): Unknown. Size at maturity (disc width): 75 to 80 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002) (female); 51 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002) (male). Longevity (years): Unknown. Maximum size (disc width): 150 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002). Size at birth: 17 to 19 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002, D. Grubbs and J. Musick unpublished data); mean 23.8 cm DW, range 20 to 34 cm DW (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000). Average reproductive age (years): Unknown. Gestation time: Mean 5.8 months; range 4.5 to 7.5 months (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000). Reproductive periodicity: Biannual (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000); Annual (Florida and Virginia, USA) (D. Grubbs unpublished data). Average annual fecundity or litter size: 2?7 (D. Grubbs and J. Musick unpublished data); mean 4.2, maximum 10 (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000). Annual rate of population increase: Unknown. Natural mortality: Unknown.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

A coastal marine and estuarine benthic species associated with sand flats, seagrass beds, and coral reefs at depths of 0 to 53 m. Commonly buries in soft sediments.

Litters of 2 to 10 pups are born at 17 to 34 cm disc width (DW), after a gestation of 4.5 to 7.5 months, and maturity is reached at 51 and 75 to 80 cm DW (males and females, respectively). Reproduction is biannual in captivity, annual in the wild. Maximum size is 150 cm DW (Henningsen 2000, McEachran and de Carvalho 2002, D. Grubbs and J. Musick unpublished data).

The diet of this species has been studied in the Bahamas (Randall 1967, Gilliam and Sullivan 1993), Brazil (Queiroz et al. 1993) and the eastern USA (D. Grubbs, unpublished data) and consists of benthic and infaunal invertebrates and demersal teleosts. The most common prey are decapod crustaceans such as alphaeid, penaeid and callianasid shrimp and brachyuran crabs.

Life history parameters
Age at maturity (years): Unknown.
Size at maturity (disc width): 75 to 80 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002) (female); 51 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002) (male).
Longevity (years): Unknown.
Maximum size (disc width): 150 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002).
Size at birth: 17 to 19 cm DW (McEachran and de Carvalho 2002, D. Grubbs and J. Musick unpublished data); mean 23.8 cm DW, range 20 to 34 cm DW (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000).
Average reproductive age (years): Unknown.
Gestation time: Mean 5.8 months; range 4.5 to 7.5 months (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000).
Reproductive periodicity: Biannual (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000); Annual (Florida and Virginia, USA) (D. Grubbs unpublished data).
Average annual fecundity or litter size: 2?7 (D. Grubbs and J. Musick unpublished data); mean 4.2, maximum 10 (in captivity) (Henningsen 2000).
Annual rate of population increase: Unknown.
Natural mortality: Unknown.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Caught as incidental bycatch with trammel nets, bottom trawls, and bottom longlines along the east coast of the USA. Most are released and mortality is probably low. Southern stingrays are harvested in parts of South America and fisheries exist in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Increased artisanal fishing pressure in some regions of Brazil may warrant concern, including in the states of Ceará and Bahia (Buckup 2000, Gadig et al. 2000). In recent years, tours allowing tourists to swim with this species in shallow water have increased in popularity throughout the Caribbean. The impacts these operations may have (behavioral, ecological, etc.) are largely unknown. Indirect threats from impacts on reef areas.

Major Threat(s):

Caught as incidental bycatch with trammel nets, bottom trawls, and bottom longlines along the east coast of the USA. Most are released and mortality is probably low. Southern stingrays are harvested in parts of South America and fisheries exist in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Increased artisanal fishing pressure in some regions of Brazil may warrant concern, including in the states of Ceará and Bahia (Buckup 2000, Gadig et al. 2000). In recent years, tours allowing tourists to swim with this species in shallow water have increased in popularity throughout the Caribbean. The impacts these operations may have (behavioral, ecological, etc.) are largely unknown. Indirect threats from impacts on reef areas.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None. The impact of increased harvests on populations in Brazil and Venezuela should be monitored and population studies undertaken. Protection of breeding and nursery areas in parts of South America may be necessary for the long-term survival of the species. The species has been considered Vulnerable in Rio de Janeiro Municipality, Brazil (Buckup et al. 2000). The development and implementation of management plans (national and/or regional e.g., under the FAO International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks: IPOA?Sharks) are required to facilitate the conservation and sustainable management of all chondrichthyan species in the region. See Anon. (2004) for an update of progress made by nations in the range of D. Americana.

Conservation Actions:

None. The impact of increased harvests on populations in Brazil and Venezuela should be monitored and population studies undertaken. Protection of breeding and nursery areas in parts of South America may be necessary for the long-term survival of the species. The species has been considered Vulnerable in Rio de Janeiro Municipality, Brazil (Buckup et al. 2000).

The development and implementation of management plans (national and/or regional e.g., under the FAO International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks: IPOA?Sharks) are required to facilitate the conservation and sustainable management of all chondrichthyan species in the region. See Anon. (2004) for an update of progress made by nations in the range of D. Americana.

Bibliography [top]

	Anonymous. 2004. Report on the implementation of the UN FAO International Plan of Action for Sharks (IPOA?Sharks). AC20 Inf. 5. Twentieth meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, Johannesburg (South Africa), 29 March?2 April 2004. Bigelow, H.B. and Schroeder, W.C. 1953. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Part 2: Sawfishes, Guitarfishes, Skates and Rays; Chimaeroids. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Bowman, R.E., Stillwell, C.E., Michaels, W.L. and Grosslein, M.D. 2000. Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Technical Memorandom, NMFS-NE 155. Report. Buckup, P.A., Nunan, G.W., Gomes, U.L., Costa, W.J.E.M. and Gadig, O.B.F. 2000. Peixes. In: Rio de Janeiro 2000. Espécies ameaçadas de extinção no Município do Rio de Janeiro: flora e fauna. pp:52?60. Rio de Janeiro, Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente Cunningham , P.T.M. 1989. Variações espaço-temporais de cações e raias em Ubatuba ? SP. In: Summaries of the IV Meeting Work group of Fishes and Research on Sharks and Rays in Brazil. 35 pp. (in Portuguese). Figueiredo, J.L. 1977. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil I. Introdução, Cações, raias e quimeras. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia Universidade de São Paulo. Gadig, O.B.F. and Rosa, R.S. 1993. Elasmobrânquios da costa da Paraíba (Brasil). In: Summaries of the X Brazilian Meeting of Icthyology, São Paulo, University of São Paulo. p: 113. (in Portuguese) Gadig, O.B.F., Bezerra, M.A., Feitosa, R.D. and Furtado-Neto, M.A. 2000. Ictiofauna marinha do Estado do Ceará, Brasil: I. Elasmobranchii. Arquivos de Ciências do Mar, Fortaleza. 33:51-56. Gilliam, D. and Sullivan, K.M. 1993. Diet and feeding habits of the southern stingray Dasyatis americana in the central Bahamas. Bulletin of Marine Science 52(3):1007?1013. Henningsen, A.D. 2000. Notes on reproduction in the southern stingray, Dasyatis americana (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatidae), in a captive environment. Copeia 2000(3):826?828. IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/. McEachran, J.D. and de Carvalho, M.R. 2002. Dasyatidae. In: K.E. Carpenter (ed.). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 1. Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes and chimaeras. pp:562?571. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO: Rome. Mendes, L.F. and Moura, R.L. 1999. Acasalamento e cópula de Dasyatis americana, raia prego do Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, PE. Res. XIII Encontro Brasileiro Ictiologia. Menni, R.C. and Lessa, R.P. 1998. The chondrichthyan community of Maranhão (Northeastern Brazil). II. Biology of species. Acta Zool. Lilloana 44(1): 69-89. Menni, R.C. and Stehmann, M.F.W. 2000. Distribution, environment and biology of batoid fishes off Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, a review. Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (Nueva Serie) 2(1): 69-109. Queiroz, E.L., Souza-Filho, J.J. and Simões, F.M. 1993. Estudo da alimentação de Dasyatis guttata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), na área de imfuência de Estação Ecológica Ilha do Medo, BA ? Brasil. In: Summaries of the VI Meeting of the Work group on Fishes and Research on Sharks and Rays in Brazil, Recife. p: 28. (in Portuguese). Randall, J.E. 1967. Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Studies in Tropical Oceanography 5: 665-847. Rocha, L.A. and Rosa, I.L. 2001. Baseline assessment of reef fish assemblages of Parcel Manuel Luiz Marine State Park, Maranhão, north-east Brazil. Journal of Fish Biology 58: 985-998. Rosa, R.S. 1987. Levantamento preliminar de espécies de elasmobrânquios na costa da Paraíba, Brasil. In: Summaries of the III Meeting of the Work group on Fishes and Research of Sharks and Rays in Brazil, Cortaleza, Federal University of the Ceará. p: 1. (in Portuguese). Rosa, R.S. and Moura, R.L. 1997. Visual assessment of reef fish community structure in the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve, off Northeastern Brazil. Coral Reefs. Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 1997(1):983?986. Stehmann, M., McEachran, J.D. and Vergara, R. 1978. Dasyatidae. In: W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Vol. 1. FAO, Rome.

Anonymous. 2004. Report on the implementation of the UN FAO International Plan of Action for Sharks (IPOA?Sharks). AC20 Inf. 5. Twentieth meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, Johannesburg (South Africa), 29 March?2 April 2004.

Bigelow, H.B. and Schroeder, W.C. 1953. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Part 2: Sawfishes, Guitarfishes, Skates and Rays; Chimaeroids. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Bowman, R.E., Stillwell, C.E., Michaels, W.L. and Grosslein, M.D. 2000. Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Technical Memorandom, NMFS-NE 155. Report.

Buckup, P.A., Nunan, G.W., Gomes, U.L., Costa, W.J.E.M. and Gadig, O.B.F. 2000. Peixes. In: Rio de Janeiro 2000. Espécies ameaçadas de extinção no Município do Rio de Janeiro: flora e fauna. pp:52?60. Rio de Janeiro, Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente

Cunningham , P.T.M. 1989. Variações espaço-temporais de cações e raias em Ubatuba ? SP. In: Summaries of the IV Meeting Work group of Fishes and Research on Sharks and Rays in Brazil. 35 pp. (in Portuguese).

Figueiredo, J.L. 1977. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil I. Introdução, Cações, raias e quimeras. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia Universidade de São Paulo.

Gadig, O.B.F. and Rosa, R.S. 1993. Elasmobrânquios da costa da Paraíba (Brasil). In: Summaries of the X Brazilian Meeting of Icthyology, São Paulo, University of São Paulo. p: 113. (in Portuguese)

Gadig, O.B.F., Bezerra, M.A., Feitosa, R.D. and Furtado-Neto, M.A. 2000. Ictiofauna marinha do Estado do Ceará, Brasil: I. Elasmobranchii. Arquivos de Ciências do Mar, Fortaleza. 33:51-56.

Gilliam, D. and Sullivan, K.M. 1993. Diet and feeding habits of the southern stingray Dasyatis americana in the central Bahamas. Bulletin of Marine Science 52(3):1007?1013.

Henningsen, A.D. 2000. Notes on reproduction in the southern stingray, Dasyatis americana (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatidae), in a captive environment. Copeia 2000(3):826?828.

IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006.

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.

McEachran, J.D. and de Carvalho, M.R. 2002. Dasyatidae. In: K.E. Carpenter (ed.). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 1. Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes and chimaeras. pp:562?571. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO: Rome.

Mendes, L.F. and Moura, R.L. 1999. Acasalamento e cópula de Dasyatis americana, raia prego do Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, PE. Res. XIII Encontro Brasileiro Ictiologia.

Menni, R.C. and Lessa, R.P. 1998. The chondrichthyan community of Maranhão (Northeastern Brazil). II. Biology of species. Acta Zool. Lilloana 44(1): 69-89.

Menni, R.C. and Stehmann, M.F.W. 2000. Distribution, environment and biology of batoid fishes off Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, a review. Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (Nueva Serie) 2(1): 69-109.

Queiroz, E.L., Souza-Filho, J.J. and Simões, F.M. 1993. Estudo da alimentação de Dasyatis guttata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), na área de imfuência de Estação Ecológica Ilha do Medo, BA ? Brasil. In: Summaries of the VI Meeting of the Work group on Fishes and Research on Sharks and Rays in Brazil, Recife. p: 28. (in Portuguese).

Randall, J.E. 1967. Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Studies in Tropical Oceanography 5: 665-847.

Rocha, L.A. and Rosa, I.L. 2001. Baseline assessment of reef fish assemblages of Parcel Manuel Luiz Marine State Park, Maranhão, north-east Brazil. Journal of Fish Biology 58: 985-998.

Rosa, R.S. 1987. Levantamento preliminar de espécies de elasmobrânquios na costa da Paraíba, Brasil. In: Summaries of the III Meeting of the Work group on Fishes and Research of Sharks and Rays in Brazil, Cortaleza, Federal University of the Ceará. p: 1. (in Portuguese).

Rosa, R.S. and Moura, R.L. 1997. Visual assessment of reef fish community structure in the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve, off Northeastern Brazil. Coral Reefs. Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 1997(1):983?986.

Stehmann, M., McEachran, J.D. and Vergara, R. 1978. Dasyatidae. In: W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Vol. 1. FAO, Rome.

Citation:	Grubbs, D.R., Snelson, F., Piercy, A., Rosa, R.S. & Furtado, M. 2006. Dasyatis americana. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2012.
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