Megatrygon microps (Annandale, 1908)

Open encyclopedia reference

The smalleye stingray (Megatrygon microps) is a large species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, measuring up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft) across. Rare but widely distributed, it is found in the Indo-Pacific from Mozambique to India to northern Australia. This species may be semi-pelagic in nature, inhabiting both deeper waters and shallow coastal reefs and estuaries. It is characterized by a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc much wider than long, a tail that is broad and flattened in front of the spine but whip-like behind, and large white spots over its back.

The very wide shape of the smalleye stingray differs from that of most other members of its family, and may reflect a mode of swimming similar to other rays such as manta rays. This species is aplacental viviparous, with litter sizes perhaps as small as one pup. A handful of smalleye stingrays are caught incidentally by commercial fisheries across its range. At present there is insufficient data for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to determine its conservation status beyond Data Deficient.

Wikipedia contributors, Smalleye stingray; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:09:27.479421+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Megatrygon microps (Annandale, 1908)

Name authority

(Annandale, 1908)

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Elasmobranchii

Order

Myliobatiformes

Family

Dasyatidae

Genus

Megatrygon

Extinction status

Not supplied by this source

Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumChondrichthyes
7. classElasmobranchii
8. subclassNeoselachii
9. infraclassBatoidea
10. orderMyliobatiformes
11. familyDasyatidae Jordan & Gilbert, 1879
12. genusMegatrygon Last, Naylor & Manjaji-Matsumoto, 2016
13. speciesMegatrygon microps (Annandale, 1908)

Close classified relatives

No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.

Browse 85 records assigned to Dasyatidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1042870 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:6R9LQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.