Common names: butterfly ray (English), raya-mariposa (Espanol), tuyo (Espanol), raya (Espanol)
 
Gymnura marmorata (Cooper, 1864)

California butterfly ray


An extremely broad, rhomboidal disc that is much wider (more than 1.5 times) than long; snout very bluntly pointed,  relatively short (distance from line between front of eyes to snout tip < distance between eyes; front margin of disc convex besides eyes, concave behind; eyes and spiracles on top of head, sometimes spiracles have tentacles; mouth arched, no papilla on its floor; jaws with many small teeth in bands; nostrils with a broad, smooth-edged curtain before mouth; pectorals extend well behind pelvic fin origin; pelvics with one lobe; tail very slender and short; no tail fin, but skin folds present on its upper &/or lower surfaces, 1-2 spines at its base; upper surface usually smooth, without denticles.


Brown, usually densely mottled with small pale brown spots, overlaid by scattered large blackish spots.


Size: females attains a disc width of about 122 cm, length ~ 80 cm. Males reach only about half that size.

Inhabits shallow bays and beaches.

Depth: to 30 m.


Southern California to the Gulf of California to northern Peru, and Malpelo.

G. crebipunctata is a synonym.