Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences 1-1-2013 The elY low Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis (Chondrichthyes Urotrygonidae): A Synoptic Review Richard E. Spieler Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] Daniel P. Fahy Nova Southeastern University Robin L. Sherman Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] James Sulikowski Nova Southeastern University T. Patrick Quinn Nova Southeastern University Find out more information about Nova Southeastern University and the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles Part of the Marine Biology Commons NSUWorks Citation Richard E. Spieler, Daniel P. Fahy, Robin L. Sherman, James Sulikowski, and T. Patrick Quinn. 2013. The eY llow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis (Chondrichthyes Urotrygonidae): A Synoptic Review .Caribbean Journal of Science , (1) : 67 -97. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/228. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Caribbean Journal of Science, Vol. 47, No. 1, 67-97, 2013 Copyright 2013 College of Arts and Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayagu¨ ez The Yellow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis (Chondrichthyes: Urotrygonidae): a synoptic review Richard E. Spieler1,2,3,*, Daniel P. Fahy1,2, Robin L. Sherman4, James A. Sulikowski5, and T. Patrick Quinn1,6 1Oceanographic Center 2National Coral Reef Institute 3Guy Harvey Research Center Nova Southeastern University, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 USA 4Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314 USA 5Marine Science Center, University of New England, 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, Maine 04005 USA 6Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, Broward County, 1 North University Drive, Plantation, Florida 33324 USA *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 9542623613 E-mail address: [email protected] ABSTRACT.—The yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis (Cuvier) has been the subject of a multitude of diverse studies on its natural history, morphology, and physiology. We have attempted here to briefly review all the studies on U. jamaicensis both published and unpublished with the goal of providing comparative information for researchers working on related species as well as to highlight areas of research requiring further investigation in this one. KEYWORDS.—Anatomy, Ecology, Elasmobranch, Physiology, Reproduction, Stingray Introduction males reached a maximum size of 398 mm TL (with a mean of » 325 mm). There are Urobatis jamaicensis (Cuvier), the yellow multiple publications listing 600 mm and stingray (Nelson et al. 2004) (Fig. 1), was orig- larger TL U. jamaicensis (Bigelow and inally described in 1816 as Trygon jamaicensis. Schroeder 1953; Lieske and Myers 1994; It has also been previously classified as McEachran and Fechhelm 1998; Parsons Trygonobatus torpedinus, Urolophus torpedinus, 2006). However, these appear to be based on Urobatis sloani, Urobatis vermiculatus, and an incorrect deduction of an ambiguous esti- Urolophus jamaicensis (Bigelow and Schroeder mate (“about 500 mm; tail 190 mm”; Fowler 1953); much of the literature refers to the latter 1945) or a misidentification. It would be a synonym. There are several phylogenetic considerably larger U. jamaicensisthanwe hierarchies currently proposed, the most have encountered. commonly accepted is: Class Chondrichthyes, Individual rays differ widely in color and Subclass Elasmobranchii, Order Myliobatiformes, pattern; the dorsal side of the disc typically Family Urotrygonidae; however, further revi- displays a reticulate dark greenish or sion should be expected (Nelson, 2006). brown pattern on a pale background, or a U. jamaicensis is a relatively small ray with close set pattern of minute white, yellow, or an average size of about 335 mm total length golden spots on a dark green or brown (TL) and 160 mm disc width (DW). Typical of background. The ventral side of the disc is elasmobranchs, females grow larger than males. lightly colored, uniformly yellowish or In our studies, with more than 500 animals, brownish-white (Bigelow and Schroeder the maximum size recorded was a female 1953). However, occasionally the ventral 480 mm TL (the mean was »345 mm); while side has the same pattern as the dorsum 67 68 R.E. SPIELER, ET AL. Fig. 1. Urobatis jamaicensis: A. dorsal view of male; B. ventral view of female showing uncommon coloration of ventrum; C. on hardbottom; D. partially buried. either in a patchy distribution or restricted and Chaplin 1993; Hoese and Moore 1998; to the outer margins of the wings (Fig. 1). McEachran and Fechhelm 1998; McEachran The animals are found in shallow water and Carvalho 2002; Piercy et al. 2006b). (maximum reported depth 30 m) through- According to the IUCN Redlist report out most of the Greater Caribbean. They are (Piercy et al. 2006b) distribution is listed patchily distributed throughout their range, for all countries within the northern and but occasionally occur in relatively high southern limits of the species range. How- abundances (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). ever, reports on abundance or even pres- For example, a study off Ft. Lauderdale, ence in many of these regions are typically Florida, tagged 108 individuals in an area of unverified and open to question. Although 2.7 + 0.4 km during 13 months of sampling the presumed range of U. jamaicensis is quite over a 14 month period without any single extensive, available data on distribution indi- recapture of a tagged or tag-site-scarred ani- cates that a complete absence or rare occur- mal (Sulikowski 1996). Presumably, this is rence is associated with several regions. not due to large migratory movements of Thus, a clear distribution pattern remains the animals such as those associated with uncertain. Populations of U. jamaicensis are reproduction in some other elasmobranchs most prevalent in South Florida (including (see Activity Patterns, below). Florida Bay and the Keys), Bahamas (north The geographic range of U. jamaicensis and central islands), Greater Antilles (west has previously been reported to occur of Mona Passage, including the Cayman from North Carolina to Brazil, includ- Islands), and Caribbean Mexico (Campeche, ing the Gulf of Mexico and widespread Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Cozumel) through throughout the Caribbean Sea (Bigelow and Belize. However, north of Jupiter Inlet on the Schroeder 1953; Robins et al. 1986; Bo¨hlke east coast of Florida and in waters of the A REVIEW OF UROBATIS JAMAICENSIS BIOLOGY 69 northern and western Gulf of Mexico begins of low blunt tubercles on the mid- U. jamaicensis is considered a rare tropical dorsum and re-curved thorns along dorsal stray (Robinson 1969; Gilmore et al. 1981; margins of the caudal fin. Larger adults Snelson and Williams 1981; Hoese and have the mid-dorsal tubercles to the orbits Moore 1998; Schmid et al. 1988; REEF 2009). and a lateral band of thorns over each shoul- In the Greater Antilles, reports are lacking for der. The ventrum remains smooth through- east of Mona Island across the Puerto Rican out life (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). Plateau (Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St. The teeth of U. jamaicensis, apparently John, St. Thomas, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and evolutionarily derived from denticles Anegada). Likewise, records from St. Croix, (Kemp 1999), number about 30 per row on Lesser Antilles (with the possible exception both the upper and lower jaws in about 5 of Grenada, Trinidad, and Tobago) and and 8 rows respectively. All rows are south of Venezuela (Guyane, Suriname, simultaneously functional. In females and Guyana, and Brazil) are either nonexistent or immature males, the teeth are closely questionable (Lowe-McConnell 1962; Dennis arranged and oval in shape with low cusps. et al. 2004, 2005; Menni and Stehmann 2000; In mature males the upper teeth are more Lasso et al. 2004; Nunes et al. 2005; Acevedo loosely spaced with high conical cusps that et al. 2007; Grijalba-Bendeck et al. 2007a, b; are slightly blunt at the end (Bigelow and REEF 2009). Further, there are few studies Schroeder 1953). This sexually dimorphic trait on temporal variation in abundance from is associated with reproductive behaviors and areas where the animals are prevalent. There likely functions to allow the male to maintain has been one report of a dramatic decrease in a grasp on the female during copulation (see sightings of yellow stingrays in the greater below). Sexually dimorphic dentition is a Caribbean area over a 14 year period (from common trait observed among batoids with sightings in 20.5% of dives to 4.7%); however, females exhibiting a smooth, molariform the trend was not consistent across all sur- shape, whereas male dentition consists of veyed regions (Ward-Paige et al. 2010). In sharp, recurved cusps (Bigelow and Schroeder some, U. jamaicensis’ distribution throughout 1953; Feduccia and Slaughter 1974; McCourt the Caribbean basin appears more restrictive and Kerstitch 1980; Taniuchi and Shimizu than previously considered and the patterns 1993; Nordell 1994; Kajiura and Tricas 1996). of biogeography and connectivity of this ani- Male Dasyatis sabina exhibit a seasonal