stingray Dasyatis pastinaca caught off Herm

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Richard Lord

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Oct 18, 2009, 3:10:49 PM10/18/09
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A recreational angler caught a 59 lb exactly (26.76 kgs.) female stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca, in shallow water near Vermerette off Herm's west coast (about 400 yards from Herm harbour) just before low water on the afternoon of Sunday 18 October.  

The ray had a total length of 124 cm and a disc width of 76 cm.  The stomach of the fish contained about 20 well-digested sandeels and some small shrimp (it is a bottom feeder.)  The liver weighed 4859 grams (10.7 lbs.)  Len Le Page tells me this fish is just shy of the British boat caught angling record.

I photographed the fish on a white board while standing on a ladder.  I washed the dorsal surface before photography and in Photoshop removed a gaff wound and re-attached the tail, which had been cut off with the barb.


Best wishes,

Richard

Richard Lord


Channel Islands Environment email list: http://groups.google.com/group/cienviron



Richard Digard

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Oct 20, 2009, 4:02:33 AM10/20/09
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Richard

Interesting (nice Photoshop, by the way) – what sort of age would she have been?

Regards

Richard

2009/10/18 Richard Lord <fish...@guernsey.net>
stingray Dasyatis pastinaca Vermerette Herm 181009 ©RLLord 9329 em.jpg

Richard Lord

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Oct 20, 2009, 6:03:48 AM10/20/09
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Dear Richard

There's little reported on the age of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) compared to bony fish.  Studies on the web indicate that maximum age for the common stingray in the Mediterranean is 10 years but the specimens that were aged were smaller than the Herm specimen.  In captivity they have lived for 21 years.  

According to the Shark Trust, in the Mediterranean the common stingray is in decline but there is little knowledge of their status in the North-East Atlantic.  They are vulnerable to overfishing, as are most elasmobranchs, because they mature late, have a  four month gestation and produce few offspring (4 to 9 off-spring twice per year). Common stingrays give live birth to fully-formed young.

For more information:



Pdf file on common stingray from shark trust: www.sharktrust.org/do_download.asp?did=33236

Best wishes,

Richard

Richard Lord


Channel Islands Environment email list: http://groups.google.com/group/cienviron

On 20 Oct 2009, at 09:02, Richard Digard wrote:

Richard

Interesting (nice Photoshop, by the way) – what sort of age would she have been?

Regards

Richard

2009/10/18 Richard Lord <fish...@guernsey.net>
A recreational angler caught a 59 lb exactly (26.76 kgs.) female stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca, in shallow water near Vermerette off Herm's west coast (about 400 yards from Herm harbour) just before low water on the afternoon of Sunday 18 October.  

The ray had a total length of 124 cm and a disc width of 76 cm.  The stomach of the fish contained about 20 well-digested sandeels and some small shrimp (it is a bottom feeder.)  The liver weighed 4859 grams (10.7 lbs.)  Len Le Page tells me this fish is just shy of the British boat caught angling record.

I photographed the fish on a white board while standing on a ladder.  I washed the dorsal surface before photography and in Photoshop removed a gaff wound and re-attached the tail, which had been cut off with the barb.

<stingray Dasyatis pastinaca Vermerette Herm 181009 ©RLLord 9329 em.jpg>
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