Common ray vs Mérida Aepeomys

Telatrygon biasa compared with Aepeomys lugens

Key Differences

• Common ray is Vulnerable while Mérida Aepeomys is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common ray	Mérida Aepeomys
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Dasyatidae	Cricetidae
Genus	Telatrygon	Aepeomys
Species	Telatrygon biasa	Aepeomys lugens

Evolutionary Relationship

Common ray and Mérida Aepeomys share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Common ray

VU — Vulnerable

Mérida Aepeomys

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common ray	Mérida Aepeomys
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common ray

Mérida Aepeomys

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

Common ray

<em>Telatrygon biasa</em>, the common ray, is a cartilaginous fish in the family Dasyatidae, order Myliobatiformes, belonging to the broader class Chondrichthyes. The species is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, indicating elevated concern over population viability. Common rays are demersal elasmobranchs typically found in shallow coastal and inshore marine habitats, resting on sandy or muddy substrates. Like other dasyatid stingrays, <em>Telatrygon biasa</em> typically feeds on benthic invertebrates including crustaceans, mollusks, and worms, which it detects using electroreceptive ampullae of Lorenzini. It typically moves by undulating its broad pectoral disc, a hallmark locomotion style of stingrays. The vulnerable status of this species likely reflects pressures from bycatch in coastal fisheries and habitat degradation, which are common threats for inshore ray species across the Indo-Pacific region. Biological traits such as lifespan, precise body measurements, and detailed diet composition remain poorly documented for this taxon, and further field research is needed to characterize population structure and reproductive ecology. Conservation measures targeting bycatch reduction in artisanal and commercial fisheries would benefit this species.