Roger’s Round Ray
Raya Redonda Roger’s, Raya Redonda Espinosa
(Urotrygon rogersi)

Roger’s Round Ray, Urotrygon rogersi: The Roger’s Round Ray normally adapts well to its living environment and is generally a uniform light brown color with scattered dark spots on its back. It has a white underside. Characteristically, the Roger’s Round Ray has one row of thorns along its back.

The disk is round with straight front margins and as the ray matures it becomes longer than it is wide, reaching a maximum size of 18 inches by 11 inches. The tip of the snout is pointed and slightly projecting. The tail is greater than one-half the total length and is narrow and pointed with an impressive stinger.

The Roger’s Round Ray can be easily differentiated from Stingrays since it lacks the two notable appendages adjacent to the tail. The Roger’s Round Ray can be confused with the Spinytail Round Ray, Urotrygon aspidura (very pointed snout) and the Chilean Round Ray, Urotrygon chilensis (dark grey to black spots on back, slender tail and very pointed snout).

The Roger’s Round Rays is found in the first 100 feet of the water column in shallow, coastal waters over soft bottoms. It stirs the bottom with its pectoral fins in order to dislodge small crustaceans, small fish, mussels, and worms, on which it feeds.

Distribution in Mexico fishing areas

It has a broad distribution in Mexican fishing waters. It is found along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula south of Magdalena Bay, throughout the Sea of Cortez, and along the coast of the Mexican mainland south to Guatemala; it appears to be absent from around the oceanic islands.

The Roger’s Round Ray is a member of the Urolophidae Family which includes Round Rays and Stingrays. Globally, there are 10 members of the Urotrygon Genus, of which four are found in Mexican fishing areas. The Round Rays are very similar to the Stingrays, characterized by an oval or near circular disc profile with continuous pectoral fins around the head. They have slender tails that are usually longer than the disk, with one large venomous spine located mid-length of an elongated, oval, well-developed tail fin. Most species of this family are bottom dwellers in shallow, coastal waters. They feed on buried mollusks and crustaceans.

Roger’s Round Ray picture 1

Roger’s Round Ray picture 2

Roger’s Round Ray, Urotrygon rogersi: A very rare by-catch when one purchases a “scoop of bait.” Caught while fishing in the surf zone, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, in April 2006, in 75-degree water, early morning, in 5 to 10-foot deep water, utilizing a cast net by a panguero bait salesman. Size, approximately 4 inches. Of limited interest to most due to its small size and rarity. Description and photo courtesy of John Snow.

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