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whai repo

1. (noun) eagle ray, Myliobatis tenuicaudatus - a ray with greenish-grey upper surface and blue markings, pale yellow-white below. Tail is thin with small spines and a small dorsal fin at the base. Head thick and protruding, eyes lateral. Most abundant from Cook Strait north over soft sediments and rocky reefs  from 0-422 m.

Synonyms: whai keo


2. (noun) short-tail stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata - disc quadrangular, flattened and slightly wider than long. Tail stout at the base, broad and flattened, narrowing rapidly to the sting. Plain greyish to light brown, whitish to cream ventrally. Bottom-dwelling marine ray widespread in coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere at depths of 5-300 m. Adults common inshore during summer and autumn.

See also whai

Synonyms: roha, pākaurua, whai


3. (noun) log-tail stingray, Dasyatis thetidis - one of the largest species of marine stingrays and may reach 210 kg. Uniformly greyish to black dorsally, white to creamish ventrally, head slightly elevated and eyes are small. Tail stout at the base, tapering gradually. Widespread in subtropical and temperate waters off coasts. In Aotearoa/New Zealand occurs mainly north of east Cape.

See also whai

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