Scaly Whipray Brevitrygon walga

Abstract

The Scaly Whipray (Brevitrygon walga) is a very small (to 32 cm disc width) whipray species whose true range is poorly-known due to taxonomic issues. There are various forms across its range (Red Sea to India), but until taxonomy is resolved, the forms in the Arabian Seas region are treated as a single species for the current assessment. This species appears to be very common in waters less than 40 m deep, including in intertidal areas. Given its size it is likely to have a productive life history, but this needs to be confirmed with species-specific research. It is regularly caught in shallow water trawls and is normally discarded at sea in the western part of its range, but landed in considerable numbers in the eastern part (i.e., India). Overall, fishing pressure is increasing across its habitat, and declines in batoids have been documented in India. At one landing site, catches have been stable over a 15 year period after an initial increase. However, over that same time period, trawl effort doubled. Overall, declines of < 30% are suspected over the last three generations (~33 years), and with ongoing fishing pressure, further population declines are suspected over the next three generations (2017-2050); the species is therefore assessed as Near Threatened (nearly meeting VU A2d+3d).