Mangrove whiprays of the Great Barrier Reef

The mangrove whipray (Urogymnus granulatus) or whitetail stingray is a species of stingray widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea to northern Australia and Micronesia. The whipray is a benthic fish (denser than water) so it can rest on the sea floor. They inhabit shallow inshore waters and mangrove habitats. They are highly symbolic in Aboriginal Australian society. The world-first observations I made during the week I spent photographing this juvenile colony of stingrays have become the main basis for the scientific publication: Evidence of sound production in wild stingrays in Ecology by the Ecological Society of America, 2022. Lachlan C. Fetterplace, J. Javier Delgado Esteban, Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons, John Gaskell,Barbara E. Wueringer. In the publication, I present the first records of voluntary active sound production ever recorded in the wild by the mangrove whipray (Urogymnus granulatus). The sounds recorded were characterised by a series of very short, broadband clicks and associated with movement of the spiracles and cranial area. The ray commenced producing sounds in response to my presence and ceased sound production when the distance between us increased. This series was produced at Magnetic Island part of the Great Barrier Reef Conservation Reserve Area in Far North Queensland, Australia.