All fish / Dasyatidae

Marbled Whipray

Fluvitrygon oxyrhynchus

Also known as marbled whipray, cambodian whipray, marbled cambodian whipray, freshwater whipray, himantura oxyrhyncha, himantura oxyrhynchus, tiger whipray, ปลากระเบนลายเสือ, ปลากระเบนเสือดาว, 斑点窄尾魟

This is a small freshwater whipray from Southeast Asian rivers. It has an oval, brownish disc with a dark marbled or net-like pattern, a pale underside, a pointed snout and a long, whip-like tail. Specialist keepers value it as one of the few Asian river rays that turns up in the trade, and it makes an unusual alternative to South American potamotrygonids.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, shrimp, mussels, prawns, white fish fillet and sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 years or more (poorly documented)

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southeast Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra

Breeding

Like other stingrays it gives birth to live young that are fed inside the mother on uterine milk. There are almost no records of captive breeding, so nearly all fish in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

The tail carries a venomous spine that can cause a very painful wound, so take care when netting or working in the tank. It is listed as Endangered by the IUCN and is easily confused with other Asian freshwater whiprays such as Fluvitrygon signifer and Fluvitrygon kittipongi; it needs a large, soft sand floor and very clean, stable water.