White Shark bite

Thank you to Derrick Cruz for submitting this amazing observation.
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.
Posted on June 20, 2017 03:57 AM by markmcg markmcg

Comments

Amazing photo, incredible it survived. ken_ flan.

Posted by ken_flan over 6 years ago

Wow, how cool! I wonder if it will recover from that.

Posted by lisa_bennett over 6 years ago

Hi @derrickcruz Did the ray look as though it was on its 'last legs'? Did it swim off 'briskly' when you released it?

Posted by markmcg over 6 years ago

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."

Posted by markmcg over 6 years ago

@markmcg , the ray swam off without any noticible handicaps so I'd say it's chances of survival are high.

Posted by derrickcruz over 6 years ago

@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

Posted by markmcg over 6 years ago

:)

Posted by derrickcruz over 6 years ago

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