Taxon name
Himantura leoparda
Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Himantura leoparda
Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
The Leopard Whipray (Himantura leoparda) is a recently described (2008) species closely related and similar in shape and dorsal disc pattern to the Reticulate Whipray (H. uarnak) and Honeycomb Whipray (H. undulata). These three species are in the “uarnak' species-complex, a subgroup of mainly reticulated, ocellated or spotted whiprays. The Leopard Whipray can be distinguished by its unique arrangement of midscapular denticles and the leopard-like markings on the dorsal surface of adults and large specimens. Juveniles of the three species are born at different sizes and vary slightly in colour patterns and denticle shapes (Manjaji-Matsumoto and Last 2008, Last and Stevens 2009). Taxonomic work is currently ongoing to more clearly define the sister species relationships (P. Last pers. comm. 2010).Previously, this species has been misidentified as Dasyatis uarnak: Wallace 1967; Himantura fava: Compagno and Roberts 1982; Himantura sp. 1: Gloerfelt-Tarp and Kailola 1984; Himantura uarnak: Compagno 1986, Compagno et al. 1989; and Himantura undulata: Last and Stevens 1994, Last and Compagno 1999, White et al. 2006.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Qualifying criteria (if given)
A2cd
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
The Leopard Whipray occurs throughout UAE coastal waters. This species is not targeted or valued in markets of the UAE, trawling has been banned there since 1980 and recently conducted surveys indicate it remains common in the area; however, Himantura species are discarded from catches in the UAE and it is unknown how this impacts the species. A large part of the species distribution in the Arabian Sea region (namely, India and Pakistan) is under extremely intense and increasing demersal fishing pressure. In contrast, Himantura species are regularly discarded in the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and they remain common there. Though data specifically from the UAE are not available, individuals in the UAE are a component of a larger, interconnected and migratory population that occurs broadly in the north-western Indian Ocean. Given the intense fishing pressures faced by this species in other parts of the broader Arabian Seas region, and ongoing threats from discard and habitat loss in the UAE, it is inferred that declines reported in the Arabian Seas are representative of the status in the UAE. Based on recorded levels of exploitation and decline in habitat quality, it is suspected to have declined by at least 30% over the past three generation lengths, or about 60 years. It is listed as Vulnerable A2cd.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The Leopard Whipray occurs throughout UAE waters. Globally, it is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific (Last et al. 2016).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Leopard Whipray is demersal on soft substrates and is mainly inshore and coastal, though it also occurs on the continental shelf to at least 70 m depth (White et al. 2006, Manjaji-Matsumoto and Last 2008). Himanura species exhibit a strong association with shallow waters of the western region where complex habitats such as coral assemblages and seagrass beds are most prevalent (Last et al. 2016 Rays of the World book). The biology of this species is poorly known, partly due to confusion with other species of the “uarnak' species-complex, especially the Reticulate Whipray (H. uarnak) and the Honeycomb Whipray (H. undulata) (Last and Stevens 2009). It attains about 140 cm disc width (DW); born at about 20 cm DW; males mature at 70-“94 cm DW (White and Dharmadi 2007, Last and Stevens 2009). Its reproduction is viviparous (White et al. 2006). It typically has1-4 young and reproduces year-round (Rastgoo et al. 2015). As there is no information on this species' maximum age and age at maturity, generation length was inferred as 20 years based on data for the congener, the Blackspotted Whipray (Himantura astra). Female Blackspotted Whiprays are reported to have a maximum age of 29 years and an age at maturity of nine years (Jacobsen and Bennett 2011). These were used to calculate a generation length of 19 years based on the equation: generation length = 9+((29-9)/2). The maximum size of the Leopard Whipray is considerably larger (~140 cm DW) than that of the Blackspotted Whipray (80 cm DW) so it is possible the generation length of the Leopard Whipray is greater than 20 years.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Information pertaining to threats specific to the UAE are unavailable. This species is impacted by bycatch fisheries that are active elsewhere in its range. Marine habitats in the Gulf are experiencing high levels of disturbance and quickly deteriorating due to major impacts from development activities (including dredging and reclamation), desalination plants, industrial activities, habitat destruction through the removal of shallow productive areas and major shipping lanes (Sheppard et al. 2010).
Publication
Ralph, G.M., Stump, E., Linardich, C., Bullock, R.W., Carpenter, K.E., Allen D.J., Hilton-Taylor, C., Al Mheiri, R., and Alshamsi, O. 2021. UAE National Red List of Marine Species: Reef-building corals, cartilaginous fishes and select bony fishes. 2021. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
