Gymnura australis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	RAJIFORMES	GYMNURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Gymnura australis

Species Authority:

(Ramsay & Ogilby, 1885)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Australian Butterfly Ray

Synonym/s:

Pteroplatea australis Ramsay & Ogilby, 1886

Taxonomic Notes:

Genus needs to be resolved throughout its range. Distribution of this species in Indonesia needs validating.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2009
Assessor/s:	White, W.T.
Reviewer/s:	Valenti, S.V. & Stevens, J.D. (Shark Red List Authority)
Contributor/s:
Justification: This butterfly ray occurs along the northern and eastern coasts of Australia, and also off the south coast of Papua New Guinea, from the intertidal to depths of at least 50 m. Its distribution in Indonesia needs validating. Little is known of the biology of this species. However, it is of little or no commercial value, and it is unlikely that populations of this species are under any direct threat in northern Australia. Possibly caught in larger numbers in the Arafura Sea where hundreds of trawlers (mainly Thai) operate. The vast bulk of the population occurs in Australian waters and it is therefore assessed as Least Concern, based on the limited effect of fisheries throughout most of its range and it little or no interest commercially.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Indo-West Pacific: northern and eastern coasts of Australia, to New South Wales (Last and Stevens 1994), Indonesia and south coast of Papua New Guinea (Compagno 1997). Also in the Arafura Sea (Russell and Houston 1989).
Countries:	Native: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia); Indonesia (Lesser Sunda Is.); Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea (main island group))
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – southwest; Pacific – western central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Relatively common (but not particularly abundant) in northern Australia.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	A demersal species occurring from the intertidal to depths of at least 50 m (Last and Stevens 1994).This species reaches a maximum size of at least 73 cm disc width (DW) or 56 cm TL (Compagno and Last 1999, Last and Stevens 1994). Little else is known of the habitat and ecology of this species. Feeds on large fish species relative to the size of the animal (fish consumed almost filling entire abdominal and mouth cavities) (I. Jacobsen pers. comm.).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

A demersal species occurring from the intertidal to depths of at least 50 m (Last and Stevens 1994).This species reaches a maximum size of at least 73 cm disc width (DW) or 56 cm TL (Compagno and Last 1999, Last and Stevens 1994). Little else is known of the habitat and ecology of this species. Feeds on large fish species relative to the size of the animal (fish consumed almost filling entire abdominal and mouth cavities) (I. Jacobsen pers. comm.).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Of very little commercial interest to fisheries. This species is commonly taken as bycatch by shrimp trawlers within its range (Last and Stevens 1994). Introduction of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and turtle exclusion devices (TEDs) on the trawl nets has presumably reduced bycatch of this species. Probably caught in the Arafura Sea by the numerous trawlers (mainly Thai) which operate there but its range in this area needs to be confirmed.

Major Threat(s):

Of very little commercial interest to fisheries. This species is commonly taken as bycatch by shrimp trawlers within its range (Last and Stevens 1994). Introduction of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and turtle exclusion devices (TEDs) on the trawl nets has presumably reduced bycatch of this species. Probably caught in the Arafura Sea by the numerous trawlers (mainly Thai) which operate there but its range in this area needs to be confirmed.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Total Exclusion Devices (TEDs) and Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) on nets excludes many larger fishes from the trawls which has likely reduced mortality of this species in the northern prawn trawl fishery off northern Australia.

Conservation Actions:

Total Exclusion Devices (TEDs) and Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) on nets excludes many larger fishes from the trawls which has likely reduced mortality of this species in the northern prawn trawl fishery off northern Australia.

Citation:	White, W.T. 2009. Gymnura australis. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2013.
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