White Shark bite
Thank you to Derrick Cruz
for submitting this amazing observation.
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The images show a wounded Eastern Shovelnose Ray, Aptychotrema rostrata, off Yacaaba Head, Hawks Nest, New South Wales.
Our colleague and shark expert Clinton Duffy from the New Zealand Department of Conservation confirmed that the wounds are the result of a bite from a White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias.
Derrick stated that "The ray was still alive and only removed from the water for a quick inspection and photo then released."
The Eastern Shovelnose Ray is an Australian endemic species that is known from marine waters of Queensland and New South Wales.
View the Australasian Fishes image gallery for the species. More information about the Eastern Shovelnose Ray be found on the Australian Museum's species fact sheet.
Kommentit
Amazing photo, incredible it survived. ken_ flan.
Wow, how cool! I wonder if it will recover from that.
Hi @derrickcruz Did the ray look as though it was on its 'last legs'? Did it swim off 'briskly' when you released it?
Clinton Duffy wrote "Whites are pretty fond of rays. I've found eagle rays in them (sometimes more than one), and seen images of Dasyatis brevicaudatus taken from their guts. They're usually swallowed whole."
@markmcg , the ray swam off without any noticible handicaps so I'd say it's chances of survival are high.
@derrickcruz That's good to hear that it probably recovered. It reminds me of the Monty Python sketch "It's just a flesh wound." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6VTci1Bunk
:)
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