Lessa's Butterfly Ray

Gymnura lessae

Lipid rich uterine milk nourishes young through summer

Tropical
Regional distribution
Marine fish
Atlantic Ocean
Central America and the Caribbean
North America
Large
Tropical fish

Gymnura lessae, or Lessa's butterfly ray, is a cartilaginous fish (batoid) species of butterfly ray (Gymnura). Native to the coastlines stretching from Massachusetts, US to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It is named after Rosângela Lessa, a prominent figure in shark and ray conservation.

Class: Sharks and Rays
Order: Stingrays
Family: Gymnuridae
Genus: Gymnura
Maximum length: 60.9 cm
Water: Marine
Distribution: Western Atlantic: USA, from southern Massachusetts and Buzzards Bay to the Gulf of Mexico (including the Gulf Coast of the US and Mexico). And probably may be extended to the northern Caribbean Sea (Bahamas and Jamaica).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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