Mangrove Whipray

Urogymnus granulatus is a large whipray distributed across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific, commonly found in mangrove estuaries, tidal rivers, and — notably for aquarists — fully freshwater sections of larger river systems. Its dorsal surface has a distinctively rough, granular texture due to denticles covering the disc, setting it apart from smooth-skinned potamotrygonids. It is euryhaline and adapts to fully fresh water with careful acclimatisation. In captivity it requires large, well-filtered tanks, a diet of meaty marine invertebrates and fish, and stable water chemistry. Far less often kept than South American rays, it offers a geographically and taxonomically distinct option for the specialist elasmobranch keeper.