Photo copyright Ed Pilling.
Myliobatis australis, Australian Bull Ray or Southern Eagle Ray
Taken off Lady Elliot Island, Australia.
This large ray has a wing span of up to 150 cm and can reach 240 cm in total length. It occurs in Australia from southern Queensland around clockwise to the south-western coast of Western Australia. It also occurs in New Zealand.
It is often found resting in hollows in the sand in shallow water, and occurs offshore down to 85 m. It feeds mainly on crabs and shellfish.
Part of the Eagle Ray family, it has a long slender tail armed with a sting at its base. The young are born fully developed.
Further Reading
Sharks and Rays of Australia, by Kelvin Aitken (2002)
Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea , by John E. Randall, Gerald R. Allen, Roger C. Steene (1996)
The Underwater Photographer: Digital and Traditional Techniques by Martin Edge, Paperback, 424 pages (2006)
