Urolophus is a genus of round rays mostly native to the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, though one species occurs in the Pacific waters of the Mexican coast. Müller and Henle erected Urolophus in an 1837 issue of Bericht Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin. The name is derived from the Greek oura, meaning "tail", and lophos, meaning "crest". In Urolophus, the outer rims of the nostrils are not enlarged into lobes, but may form a small knob at the back.
A fossil species, Urolophus crassicaudatus, has been found in Monte Bolca, northern Italy, in deposits dating back to the late Ypresian stage of the Eocene epoch (49 Ma); however, MarramÃÂ et al. (2020) transferred this species to the genus Arechia.
Species
There are currently 21 recognized species in this genus:
- Urolophus aurantiacus <small>J. P. Müller & Henle, 1841</small> (Sepia stingray)
- Urolophus bicuneatus <small>Noetling, 1885</small>
- Urolophus bucculentus <small>W. J. Macleay, 1884</small> (Sandyback stingaree)
- Urolophus circularis <small>R. J. McKay, 1966</small> (Circular stingaree)
- Urolophus cruciatus <small>Lacepède, 1804</small> (Crossback stingaree)
- Urolophus deforgesi <small>Séret & Last, 2003</small> (Chesterfield Island stingaree)
- Urolophus expansus <small>McCulloch, 1916</small> (Wide stingaree)
- Urolophus flavomosaicus <small>Last & M. F. Gomon, 1987</small> (Patchwork stingaree)
- Urolophus gigas <small>T. D. Scott, 1954</small> (Spotted stingaree)
- â Urolophus javanicus <small>E. von Martens, 1864</small> (Java stingaree)
- Urolophus kaianus <small>Günther, 1880</small> (Kai stingaree)
- Urolophus kapalensis <small>Yearsley & Last, 2006</small> (Kapala stingaree)
- Urolophus lobatus <small>R. J. McKay, 1966</small> (Lobed stingaree)
- Urolophus mitosis <small>Last & M. F. Gomon, 1987</small> (Mitotic stingaree)
- Urolophus neocaledoniensis <small>Séret & Last, 2003</small> (New Caledonian stingaree)
- Urolophus orarius <small>Last & M. F. Gomon, 1987</small> (Coastal stingaree)
- Urolophus papilio <small>Séret & Last, 2003</small> (Butterfly stingaree)
- Urolophus paucimaculatus <small>J. M. Dixon, 1969</small> (Sparsely-spotted stingaree)
- Urolophus piperatus <small>Séret & Last, 2003</small> (Coral Sea stingaree)
- Urolophus sufflavus <small>Whitley, 1929</small> (Yellowback stingaree)
- Urolophus viridis <small>McCulloch, 1916</small> (Greenback stingaree)
- Urolophus westraliensis <small>Last & M. F. Gomon, 1987</small> (Brown stingaree)
See also
References