All fish / Dasyatidae

Honeycomb Stingray

Himantura uarnak

Also known as reticulate whipray, leopard whipray, coach whipray, honeycomb whipray, marbled stingray, banded whiptail stingray, ปลากระเบนลายเสือ, pari kembang, pari bunga, ヒョウモンオトメエイ, pari macan, 花点窄尾魟

A large whipray with a rounded, pale disc covered in a dense network of dark brown spots and lines that resemble a honeycomb or leopard pattern, and a very long, thin banded tail. Juveniles are occasionally sold for their striking markings, but it is really a fish for public aquariums.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

150 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

20000 litres

Keep as

Singly, or a pair in a very large system

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, squid, clams, mussels and whole fish, fed often

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 25 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Southeast Asia and northern Australia

Breeding

It gives birth to live young after the embryos are nourished inside the mother. Captive breeding is very rarely achieved and only in large public aquarium systems.

Good to know

Adults can reach well over 1.5 m disc width and several metres in total length, so it is unsuitable for home aquariums; the tail spine is venomous and can cause serious injury. Several similar species (such as H. leoparda and H. australis) were formerly lumped with it and are often confused in the trade.