SHARKS AND RAYS OF BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROUNA. 



Measurements op a Male 70 Cm. (27^^ Inches) Long. 



275 



Interocular space 3.6 



Diameter of eye 1. 1 



Width of mouth 3.5 



Distance between anterior gill slits 6. o 



Distance between posterior gill slits 3.8 



Length of claspers 7.5 



cm. 



l-ength of disk 27. 8 



Breadth of disk 28. o 



Length of tail 47.5 



Tip of snout to — 



Outer angle of pectoral 18. 9 



Eye 5-6 



Front of mouth 3.5 



First gill slit 10. s 



Last gill slit 14-2 



Vent 25.0 



Disk subcircular; anterior margin sinuous, concave opposite mouth, tip of snout projecting, pointed ; 

 outer angles of disk broadly roimded; posterior angle evenly rounded; ventrals broad, truncate. 



This small sting ray is very abundant in the Beaufort region, being taken in greater numbers than 

 either hastatus or say. It is readily distinguished from these species by the subcircular disk, concave 

 anteriorly, by the pointed snout, the more prominent tubercles, and by the light coloration of the keel 

 and winglike expansion of the tail. In old examples these are somewhat darker in coloration. 



29. Dasybatus say (Le Sueiu"). Stingray; stingaree; whip-ray. 



Trygon centrura. Yarrow, 1877, p. 216. 



Dasybatis centrums. Jordan and Gilbert. 1879. p. 386. 



Dasybatis sayi. Jordan. 1886. p. 26. 



Trygon sayi, Jenkins, i837, P- 84; Wilson. 1900. p. 355. 



Dasyatis say, Linton, 1906. p. 346; Smith. 1907. p. 44; Gudger. 1912. p. 144; Coles. 1914. p. 93. 



Teeth. — ^Teeth similar in form and coloration to the other species described; in about ^ rows in a 



37 

 male 90 cm. long and in about — rows in a female 76 cm. long. Upper jaw more prominently arched 



than in hastatus, not as strongly arched as in sabinus. 



Armature of skin. — Skin of the yoimg, smooth; in large examples there is a short median row of 

 small tubercles along highest part of back, and one or two on each shotilder; in old individuals stellate 

 tubercles are scatteringly present on shoulder region and spinules on tail. 



Measurements of a Male 98 Cm. (38.6 Inches) in Length from North River. 



Length of disk 41.5 



Breadth of disk 44. o 



Length of anterior margin of disk 27.2 



Length of posterior margin of disk 29. o 



Tip of snout to — 



Eye 9.1 



Front of mouth 7.8 



Inner angle of first gill slit 13.2 



Inner angle of second gill slit 14. 8 



Inner angle of third gill slit 16. i 



Tip of snout to — 



Inner angle of fourth gill slit 17.4 



Inner angle of fifth gill slit 18. 8 



Distance between anterior gill slits 8-9 



Distance between posterior gill slits 6.2 



Length of claspers 10. 9 



Breadth of claspers 1.9 



Interocular space 9.0 



Breadth of mouth 4. 8 



Disk subquadrangular, its length 1. 15 in its width, anterior margins nearly straight, posterior margin 

 convex; ventrals rounded, projecting well beyond posterior margin of disk. 



This species is similar in form to hastatus, differing in having a black winglike expansion on upper 

 side of tail behind spine; anterior margin of disk shorter in proportion to posterior margin and more 

 evenly roimded; ventrals rounded, projecting for a greater distance beyond posterior margin of disk; 

 upper stirface smooth except in old examples; no light colored spot on middle of forehead in front of 

 eyes; angle of snout slightly greater, about 59° as compared with 54° in hastatus. 



A female 106 cm. long taken July S, 1912, had the left uterus greatly enlarged, 14 by 10 cm.; the inner 

 surface of the uterus was covered with the typical slender villi, about 2 cm. long, slightly enlarged at the 

 free end; uterus partly filled with a yellow creamy substance which emitted a slight pimgentodor. The 

 embryos had undoubtedly been extruded during captiue. Right uterus not enlarged. 



This species is common throughout the harbor and at times the young are quite abimdant in some 

 localities. 



