Coachwhip ray vs Common Fieldcap

Urogymnus granulatus compared with Agrocybe pediades

Key Differences

• Coachwhip ray is Vulnerable while Common Fieldcap is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coachwhip ray	Common Fieldcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Dasyatidae	Strophariaceae
Genus	Urogymnus	Agrocybe
Species	Urogymnus granulatus	Agrocybe pediades

Conservation Status

Coachwhip ray

VU — Vulnerable

Common Fieldcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coachwhip ray	Common Fieldcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coachwhip ray

Common Fieldcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Coachwhip ray

The coachwhip ray, Urogymnus granulatus, is a large elasmobranch in the family Urogymidae found across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from the Red Sea and East Africa through South and Southeast Asia to northern Australia and the western Pacific islands. It inhabits shallow coastal waters including coral reef flats, sandy lagoons, seagrass beds, and estuarine habitats, where it forages for benthic invertebrates and small fishes buried in the substrate. The coachwhip ray is characterized by an oval disc and a long, whip-like tail with one or more venomous spines at its base, giving the species its common name. The disc reaches up to 1.4 meters in width, making it one of the larger members of its family. Urogymnus granulatus is ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young after internal development, and has low reproductive rates that make populations slow to recover from exploitation. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to significant declines caused by intensive coastal fisheries across its range, particularly in South and Southeast Asia where it is commonly caught as bycatch or targeted for its valuable meat, skin, and gill plates in local markets. Habitat degradation from coastal development and coral reef decline compounds the threat to wild populations.

Common Fieldcap

The Common Fieldcap (<em>Agrocybe pediades</em>) is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Agrocybe within the family Strophariaceae. It typically produces small, tan to pale brown cap-shaped fruiting bodies and is often found growing in clusters or scattered on lawns, grassy areas, forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil-rich ecosystems. The species typically inhabits forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems, obtaining nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter. Its geographic range includes several European countries — Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — as well as the United States in North America. <em>Agrocybe pediades</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent stability. Biological traits of this species, including specific data on fruiting body size, lifespan, and ecological preferences, remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Like other members of its genus, it typically fruits during warmer months and often appears after rainfall in nutrient-rich grassland and woodland habitats.