Coral Sea stingaree [SEP] parent taxon
Coral Sea stingaree
The Coral Sea stingaree ("Urolophus piperatus") is a little-known species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, found at a depth of around the edge of the continental shelf off northern Queensland. Growing to a length of , this species has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc with a protruding snout and a skirt-shaped flap of skin between the nostrils. Its tail bears a low dorsal fin before the stinging spine and terminates in a short leaf-shaped caudal fin. Its upper surface
is grayish or brownish, sometimes with tiny dark spots. The Coral Sea stingaree may represent two closely similar species, one large and one small. There is very little fishing activity within its range, and thus it has been listed under Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Taxonomy.
The first known specimens of the Coral Sea stingaree were collected during a series of exploratory research cruises conducted by France and Australia in the 1980s. It was known provisionally as "Urolophis" "sp