Potamotrygon leopoldi (lat.) - a species of stingrays of the genus of river stingrays of the same family from the order of stingrays . Lives in the tropical waters of the Shingu River Basin, South America . The maximum recorded disc width is 40 cm. The pectoral fins of these slopes form a rounded disc. Dorsal and caudal fins absent. In the middle part of the caudal stem is a poisonous thorn [1] . It is not an object of target fishing, but it is of interest as a decorative aquarium fish [2] [3] .
| Potamotrygon leopoldi |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| View: | Potamotrygon leopoldi |
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| International scientific name |
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Potamotrygon leopoldi Castex & Castello , 1970 |
| Security status |
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Not enough data IUCN Data Deficient : 39403 |
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Content
The species was first scientifically described in 1970 [4] . The species is named after the King of Belgium, Leopold III (1901-1983), who sponsored the research of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences [5] . The holotype is a male 68 cm long, caught in a small bay on the right bank of the Shingu River [6] . These stingrays are easily confused with Potamotrygon henlei , which have a similar coloration [3] .
Potamotrygon leopoldi live in South America, in the tropical waters of the Shingu River Basin in Brazil. These stingrays prefer a rocky bottom [3] .
The wide pectoral fins of the river Potamotrygon leopoldi fuse with the head and form an oval disk. Dorsal fins and caudal fin absent. Behind the eyes are sprays . The ventral fins are rounded and almost completely covered by a disc. On the ventral side of the disc are nostrils and 5 pairs of gill slits [1] . On the dorsal surface of the tail there is a poisonous spike. Every 6-12 months it breaks off and a new one grows in its place. At the base of the spike are glands that produce poison, which spreads along the longitudinal grooves. In the normal state, the thorn rests in a recess of flesh filled with mucus and poison [7] .
Body color is often black with numerous white spots. The maximum recorded disk width is 40 cm [2] .
Potamotrygon leopoldi is likely to breed by oviparosity , like other caudate- like Potamotrygon leopoldi . In the litter from 4 to 12 newborns (an average of 7 to 9) [3] . In captivity, pregnancy lasts about 100 days. The diet consists of crustaceans (crabs) and mollusks. In aquariums, these rays are kept at a pH of 6β7 and a temperature of 21β25 Β° C. Life expectancy in captivity is estimated at 5-15 years [8] .
The species is not an object of targeted fishing, however, young individuals are valued among aquarists. These ramps easily coexist in captivity, where they are able to breed. They suffer from environmental degradation due to anthropogenic factors, including dam construction, agricultural development, deforestation, etc. River stingrays are sometimes killed for fear of their poisonous thorn. There is insufficient data to evaluate the conservation status of the species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature [3] .
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has not yet assessed the conservation status of this species.
- β 1 2 McEachran, JD Urolophidae. Rayas redondas = W. Fischer, F. Krupp, W. Schneider, C. Sommer, KE Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) Guia FAO para Identification de Especies para lo Fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. - Rome: FAO, 1995 .-- T. 3 .-- S. 786-792.
- β 1 2 Potamotrygon leopoldi in the FishBase database.
- β 1 2 3 4 5 Potamotrygon leopoldi (English) . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- β Castex, MN & Castello, HP (1970) Potamotrygon leopoldi, a new species of freshwater sting-ray for the XingΓΊ River, Brazil (Chondrichthyes, Potamotrygonidae). Acta Scientifica, Universidad del Salvador, 10: 1-16
- β Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Fish Name Etymology Database (Neopr.) . The ETYFish Project . Date of treatment April 13, 2014.
- β Potamotrygon leopoldi (neopr.) . Shark References. Date of treatment November 28, 2014.
- β Kenneth Wingerter. Aquarium Fish: An Overview of Stingrays of the genus Potamotrygon, Part Two // Advanced Aquarist. - 2013. - Issue. XII .
- β Yellowspotted river stingray - Potamotrygon leopoldi (neopr.) . www.aqua-fish.net. Date of treatment November 28, 2014.
