DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Ornate eagle ray
Aetomylaeus vespertilio
- Usual depth3–37 m
- Water temperature25–29 °C
- Best monthsMarch, June, and October
- How commonRare
About this species
The ornate eagle ray or reticulate eagle ray is a species of large stingray of the family Myliobatidae. Like other rays, the ornate eagle ray is ovoviviparous. Aetomylaeus vespertilio is estimated to have a low fecundity similar to other myliobatids. It has a generation length of 15 years, and can grow as old as 24 years. It is a predatory cartilaginous fish, preying mostly on small invertebrates, polychaete worms, and some echinoderms. It has earned the nickname "unicorn of the sea" due to how rarely it is spotted in the wild.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Ornate eagle ray”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 0 records
- February: 0 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 0 records
- May: 0 records
- June: 2 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 0 records
- October: 2 records
- November: 0 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 3–37 m · Deepest record: 36.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Ornate eagle ray, ornate eagle ray, Reticulate Eagle Ray
Names in 5 more languages
- German
- Schmuck-Adlerrochen
- Spanish
- Raya águila reticulada
- Japanese
- Amimetobiei, アミメトビエイ
- Thai
- ปลากระเบนนกรางกระแส
- Simplified Chinese
- 網紋圓吻燕魟, 網紋鴨嘴燕魟, 蝠狀無刺鱝, 魴仔
Other scientific names: Aetobatus reticulatus, Aetomylaeus reticulatus, Aetomylus vespertilio, Myliobatis vespertilio
Similar species
- Bull ray
Aetomylaeus bovinus
- Blue-banded Eagle Ray
Aetomylaeus caeruleofasciatus
- Mottled eagle ray
Aetomylaeus maculatus
- Ocellate Eagle Ray
Aetomylaeus milvus
- Banded Eagle Ray
Aetomylaeus nichofii
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 35 open-data records from 1852 to 2017.
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