FLYING STINGRAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 411, 20 July 1928, Page 7

FLYING STINGRAY

STRANGE FISH CAUGHT ON BARRIER REEF A flying stingray, a very rare fisli,, j which was caught recently ou the Great Barrier Reef, was exhibited in acity shop window in Cairns. It is claimed that this fish, when in pursuit or flight, has the power to ! glide swiftly from the water to a con* | siderable height above the surface, I says the “Melbourne Herald.” | It lias a face like a dog and double stinging or dorsal spines, and it emits sounds ver3 r like a gruff bark when hooked or in attack. It is very strong and dangerous when hooked. An old Murray Islander, asked about it, said, “Him altogether dogfish debit debit; bitem, stingum, no good.” There are many species of the stingray family in Australian waters, j and some of them grow to a very j large size. Their dorsal spines, which | lie level with the whip-like tail, are i barbed, and so dirty as to be poisonous, and they can inflict a nasty j wound on anybody unfortunate enough to be struck by them. Frequently in the estuaries and river-mouths of the Australian coast they burrow and lie flat in the sand, and waders and fish- j ermen have often received nasty l gashes through walking on them unawares.