Himantura is a genus of stingray in the family Dasyatidae that is native to the Indo-Pacific. In a 2016 taxonomic revision, many of the species formerly assigned to Himantura were reassigned to other genera (Brevitrygon, Fluvitrygon, Maculabatis, Pateobatis, Styracura and Urogymnus).[1]
Four species are recognized as valid by some authors,[2] while other authors recognize five valid species.[3]
The fifth species, Himantura tutul (fine-spotted leopard whipray)[4] has had its validity disputed [5] and has been considered a junior synonym of H. uarnak by the Catalog of Fishes.[2] However, H. tutul was previously confused not with H. uarnak, but with H. leoparda, and subsequently shown to be genetically distinct and reproductively isolated from both H. uarnak and H. leoparda.[6][7][8] Both adult H. leoparda and H. tutul present leopard-like ocellated spots. These are smaller and less numerous in H. tutul.[4][6][7]