''Brevitrygon manjajiae'', the sandwich-tail whipray, is a type of tropical ray of the family Dasyatidae found in

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

and

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

, north-west of

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. It lives in the maximum depth of in general. This species is often deliberately targeted by local trawlers. In Persian Gulf area, it is considered a low-value catch and usually discarded. In contrast, it is a delicacy and sold locally in Indian seafood markets.

Description

The sandwich-tail whipray has several characteristics, including oval disc, small orbits, relatively short tail with ridge-like ventral fold, relatively small pelvic fins, and predominantly brownish dorsal surface. This species is at least disc width and might reach disc width.

Habitat & distribution

The sandwich-tail whipray inhabits the continental shelf across its distribution range at the depths of , and to in

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...

. This demersal ray faces direct threats because it is regularly captured in the coastal regions of Pakistan and western India. In India, it is retained as consumption and widely sold in traditional markets, mostly on

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

and

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

. In Pakistan, the species is retained and usually exported to Southeast Asia for human consumption.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q132731600 manjajiae Fish described in 2023