Porcupine ray

Description

The porcupine parsnip ( Urogymnus asperrimus Bloch & Schneider,1801 ) is a fish from the Dasyatidae family.The adult specimens can reach 2.2 meters in length and over one meter in width.It is characterized by a typically oval body,very thick and rounded.The eyes,small and protruding,are followed by evident spiracles.The mouth is located in the ventral position and contains about 48 rows of teeth for each mandible.The tail is very thin and,unlike the other stingrays,it is not endowed with a poisonous spike.Characteristic of this species are the numerous thorny tubercles located on the dorsal surface (hence the common name porcupine breed).The back is light gray,while the belly is white