Misplaced Pages

#41958

51-734: Mercury Bay is a large V-shaped bay on the eastern coast of the Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand . It was named by the English navigator Captain James Cook during his exploratory expeditions. It was first named Te-Whanganui-a-Hei , the great bay of Hei, by the Māori . On 9 November 1769 Cook landed on the shores of the bay to observe a Transit of Mercury . In 1919 an area of land around Shakespeare Cliff

102-744: A good location for game fishing , with the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club being one of the largest in New Zealand. The bay is also widely known for its yachting . The Mercury Bay Boating Club in Whitianga was the challenging club in New Zealand's first challenge for the America's Cup , in 1987. There was an arched rock in Mercury Bay which collapsed. It was illustrated in the 1700s aboard James Cook 's Endeavour . It

153-697: A great amount of granule -filled cytoplasm. The stinging cells of marine stingrays are located only within these lateral grooves of the stinger. The stinging cells of freshwater stingray branch out beyond the lateral grooves to cover a larger surface area along the entire blade. Due to this large area and an increased number of proteins within the cells, the venom of freshwater stingrays has a greater toxicity than that of marine stingrays. Rays are edible, and may be caught as food using fishing lines or spears. Stingray recipes can be found in many coastal areas worldwide. For example, in Malaysia and Singapore , stingray

204-404: A wide range of feeding strategies. Some have specialized jaws that allow them to crush hard mollusk shells, whereas others use external mouth structures called cephalic lobes to guide plankton into their oral cavity. Benthic stingrays (those that reside on the sea floor) are ambush hunters. They wait until prey comes near, then use a strategy called "tenting". With pectoral fins pressed against

255-534: Is " Dasyatis " speetonensis from the Hauterivian of England , whose teeth most closely resemble that of the extant sixgill stingray ( Hexatrygon ). Although stingray teeth are rare on sea bottoms compared to the similar shark teeth , scuba divers searching for the latter do encounter the teeth of stingrays. Full-body stingray fossils are very rare but are known from certain lagerstätte that preserve soft-bodied animals. The extinct Cyclobatis of

306-634: Is commonly grilled over charcoal, then served with spicy sambal sauce. In Goa , and other Indian states, it is sometimes used as part of spicy curries. Generally, the most prized parts of the stingray are the wings, the "cheek" (the area surrounding the eyes), and the liver. The rest of the ray is considered too rubbery to have any culinary uses. Stingrays are usually very docile and curious, their usual reaction being to flee any disturbance, but they sometimes brush their fins past any new object they encounter. Nevertheless, certain larger species may be more aggressive and should be approached with caution, as

357-405: Is complicated by having two separate ways to take in water to use the oxygen. Most of the time stingrays take in water using their mouth and then send the water through the gills for gas exchange . This is efficient, but the mouth cannot be used when hunting because the stingrays bury themselves in the ocean sediment and wait for prey to swim by. So the stingray switches to using its spiracles. With

408-662: Is highly seasonal, with many Aucklanders having holiday homes in the Coromandel. During the summer holiday period around Christmas and New Year, visiting families and travellers from around the North Island add significantly to activity in the area, particularly in Whangamatā, Whitianga, Matarangi, Tairua and Pauanui. The peninsula is a popular place to live for people who have chosen an alternative lifestyle , especially those who have left Auckland. The 1970s saw thousands of hippies relocate from large cities around New Zealand to

459-412: Is now a popular tourist destination. Most mining ceased around the 1980s. In late 2009, New Zealand's Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee ( National Party ) noted that there was a possibility of new mining in conservation areas, even though he had previously declared that a stocktake of mineral resources in protected areas did not indicate a desire to mine there. A forest park occupies much of

510-732: Is similar to the species Urobatis halleri , differences can be seen in the particular actions of Hypanus sabinus . Seasonal elevated levels of serum androgens coincide with the expressed aggressive behavior, which led to the proposal that androgen steroids start, indorse and maintain aggressive sexual behaviors in the male rays for this species which drives the prolonged mating season. Similarly, concise elevations of serum androgens in females has been connected to increased aggression and improvement in mate choice . When their androgen steroid levels are elevated, they are able to improve their mate choice by quickly fleeing from tenacious males when undergoing ovulation succeeding impregnation. This ability affects

561-487: Is steep and hilly and largely covered in bush . The Coromandel Range forms the spine for most of the peninsula, with the Moehau Range at the northern end providing the highest point at nearly 900 metres (3,000 ft). The large Great Barrier Island , which lies beyond the northern tip, can be thought of as an extension of the ranges. The island is separated from Cape Colville on the peninsula's northern coast by

SECTION 10

#1732782887042

612-512: The Colville Channel . Although the peninsula is close to large centres of population such as Auckland to the west and Tauranga to the southeast, its rugged nature means that much of it is relatively isolated, and the interior and northern tip are both largely undeveloped and sparsely inhabited. The Coromandel Forest Park covers much of the inland part of the peninsula. Numerous small islands and island groups lie offshore, such as

663-582: The Cretaceous of Lebanon is thought to be a skate that had convergently evolved a highly stingray-like body plan, although its exact taxonomic placement is still uncertain. True stingray fossils become more common in the Eocene, with the extinct freshwater stingrays Heliobatis and Asterotrygon known from the Green River Formation . A diversity of stingray fossils is known from

714-724: The Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west from the Pacific Ocean to the east. It is 40 kilometres (25 mi) wide at its broadest point. Almost its entire population lives on the narrow coastal strips fronting the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Plenty. In clear weather the peninsula is clearly visible from Auckland , the country's biggest city, which lies on the far shore of the Hauraki Gulf, 55 kilometres (34 mi) to

765-731: The Motukawao Islands to the northwest, the Aldermen Islands and Slipper Island to the southeast, and the Mercury Islands to the northeast. The peninsula shows considerable signs of past volcanism. It comprises the eroded remnants of the Coromandel Volcanic Zone , which was highly active during the Miocene and Pliocene periods. Volcanic activity has since primarily shifted southeast to

816-501: The Taupo Volcanic Zone , although Mayor Island some 25 km to the east was recently active. Geothermal activity is still present on the peninsula, with hot springs in several places, notably at Hot Water Beach (in the central east coast between Whitianga and Tairua ) and near Te Aroha . Owing to the nature of the land, much of the Coromandel's population clusters in a small number of towns and communities along

867-452: The atlantic stingray ( Hypanus sabinus ), social groups are formed first, then the sexes display complex courtship behaviors that end in pair copulation which is similar to the species Urobatis halleri. Furthermore, their mating period is one of the longest recorded in elasmobranch fish. Individuals are known to mate for seven months before the females ovulate in March. During this time,

918-503: The breeding season , males of various stingray species such as the round stingray ( Urobatis halleri ), may rely on their ampullae of Lorenzini to sense certain electrical signals given off by mature females before potential copulation . When a male is courting a female, he follows her closely, biting at her pectoral disc. He then places one of his two claspers into her valve. Reproductive ray behaviors are associated with their behavioral endocrinology , for example, in species such as

969-580: The panrays , during the Late Jurassic period, and diversified over the course of the Cretaceous into the different extant families today. The earliest stingrays appear to have been benthic, with the ancestors of the eagle rays becoming pelagic during the early Late Cretaceous . Permineralized stingray teeth have been found in sedimentary deposits around the world as far back as the Early Cretaceous . The oldest known stingray taxon

1020-522: The Amazon feed on insects and break down their tough exoskeletons with mammal-like chewing motions. Large pelagic rays like the manta use ram feeding to consume vast quantities of plankton and have been seen swimming in acrobatic patterns through plankton patches. Stingrays are not usually aggressive and ordinarily attack humans only when provoked, such as when they are accidentally stepped on. Stingrays can have one, two or three blades. Contact with

1071-404: The Coromandel in search of an environmentally friendly lifestyle associated with the counterculture back-to-the-land movement . As of 2010 , increasing numbers of affluent Aucklanders have started moving to the Coromandel. Population density decreases with both distance from the coast and distance north. Of the main population centres, only Coromandel, Colville, Matarangi and Whitianga lie in

SECTION 20

#1732782887042

1122-528: The Eocene Monte Bolca formation from Italy , including the early stingaree Arechia , as well as Dasyomyliobatis , which is thought to represent a transitional form between stingrays and eagle rays , and the highly unusual Lessiniabatis , which had an extremely short and slender tail with no sting. The mouth of the stingray is located on the ventral side of the vertebrate. Stingrays exhibit hyostylic jaw suspension, which means that

1173-450: The bodies of hard shelled prey. Male stingrays display sexual dimorphism by developing cusps , or pointed ends, to some of their teeth. During mating season, some stingray species fully change their tooth morphology which then returns to baseline during non-mating seasons. Spiracles are small openings that allow some fish and amphibians to breathe. Stingray spiracles are openings just behind its eyes. The respiratory system of stingrays

1224-479: The centre of the peninsula, and the coasts are dotted with numerous beaches and scenic views. Evidence of the region's geothermal origins can be found in hot springs , notably at Hot Water Beach on the peninsula's east coast. The town of Whangamatā is a popular holiday retreat, and Whitianga on Mercury Bay is renowned for its yachting . The peninsula's waters are also a popular destination for scuba divers . Cathedral Cove , named for its cathedral-like arch through

1275-719: The fish is likened to a stingray , with the Wellington Region being its head, the Northland Peninsula its tail, and Coromandel Peninsula its barb or spine. The English-language name for the peninsula comes from HMS Coromandel (originally named HMS Malabar ), a ship of the British Royal Navy that stopped at Coromandel Harbour in 1820 to buy kauri spars. The ship was named for the Coromandel Coast of India. The peninsula

1326-695: The harbour, while the trip by road takes 40 to 45 minutes. Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays , a type of cartilaginous fish . They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwater stingray), Urolophidae (stingarees), Urotrygonidae (round rays), Dasyatidae (whiptail stingrays), Potamotrygonidae (river stingrays), Gymnuridae (butterfly rays) and Myliobatidae (eagle rays). There are about 220 known stingray species organized into 29 genera. Stingrays are common in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters throughout

1377-404: The limestone cliff, is a popular destination, only accessible by boat or on foot. In recent years, dolphins and more coast-loving whales are appearing along the coasts as their numbers began to recover, such as southern right whale , Bryde's whale and humpback whale . The towns are connected by State Highways 25 and 25A , which form a circuit around the peninsula. Not all of the roads on

1428-412: The male stingrays experience increased levels of androgen hormones which has been linked to its prolonged mating periods. The behavior expressed among males and females during specific parts of this period involves aggressive social interactions. Frequently, the males trail females with their snout near the female vent then proceed to bite the female on her fins and her body. Although this mating behavior

1479-406: The mandibular arch is only suspended by an articulation with the hyomandibula . This type of suspensions allows for the upper jaw to have high mobility and protrude outward. The teeth are modified placoid scales that are regularly shed and replaced. In general, the teeth have a root implanted within the connective tissue and a visible portion of the tooth, is large and flat, allowing them to crush

1530-811: The mothers have not been near a male for two years. This suggests some species of rays can store sperm then give birth when they deem conditions to be suitable. The stingray uses its paired pectoral fins for moving around. This is in contrast to sharks and most other fish, which get most of their swimming power from a single caudal (tail) fin . Stingray pectoral fin locomotion can be divided into two categories, undulatory and oscillatory. Stingrays that use undulatory locomotion have shorter thicker fins for slower motile movements in benthic areas. Longer thinner pectoral fins make for faster speeds in oscillation mobility in pelagic zones. Visually distinguishable oscillation has less than one wave going, opposed to undulation having more than one wave at all times. Stingrays use

1581-565: The next-to-lowest zone in the water column ), but some, such as the pelagic stingray and the eagle rays , are pelagic . Stingray species are progressively becoming threatened or vulnerable to extinction , particularly as the consequence of unregulated fishing . As of 2013, 45 species have been listed as vulnerable or endangered by the IUCN . The status of some other species is poorly known, leading to their being listed as data deficient . Stingrays diverged from their closest relatives,

Mercury Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue

1632-573: The north of the peninsula, and much of the inland parts remain virtually uninhabited. Prior to contact with Europeans, the Tahanga Quarries of Ōpito Bay were an important source of basalt ( karā or pakawera ), which Māori used in the production of stone tools such as adzes (particularly during the Māori Archaic period (1300–1500)). The area was once known largely for its hard-rock gold mining and kauri forestry industries, but

1683-520: The offspring generally disassociate from the mother and swim away, having been born with the instinctual abilities to protect and feed themselves. In a very small number of species, like the giant freshwater stingray ( Urogymnus polylepis ), the mother "cares" for her young by having them swim with her until they are one-third of her size. At the Sea Life London Aquarium , two female stingrays delivered seven baby stingrays, although

1734-437: The paternity of their offspring by refusing less qualified mates. Stingrays are ovoviviparous , bearing live young in "litters" of five to thirteen. During this period, the female's behavior transitions to support of her future offspring. Females hold the embryos in the womb without a placenta. Instead, the embryos absorb nutrients from a yolk sac and after the sac is depleted, the mother provides uterine "milk". After birth,

1785-521: The peninsula are sealed (i.e. are gravel roads ) notably the 309 Road , which connects Coromandel Town and Whitianga. Some hire car companies have contracts that specifically exclude driving on these roads. A passenger ferry runs from Ferry Landing to Whitianga, providing direct access to the shops and restaurants of Whitianga for pedestrians and cyclists based in Cook's Beach, Flaxmill Bay, Front Beach, and Ferry Landing. The ferry takes only 5 minutes to cross

1836-463: The sand and hiding beneath it. Because their eyes are on top of their bodies and their mouths on the undersides, stingrays cannot see their prey after capture; instead, they use smell and electroreceptors ( ampullae of Lorenzini ) similar to those of sharks . Stingrays settle on the bottom while feeding, often leaving only their eyes and tails visible. Coral reefs are favorite feeding grounds and are usually shared with sharks during high tide. During

1887-553: The southeastern and southwestern coasts. Only five towns have populations of over 1000 ( Coromandel , Whitianga , Thames , Tairua , and Whangamatā ), and of these only Thames, with 7,440 people, and Whitianga, with 6,540 people, have populations of over 5000. Several small towns dot the coast of the Firth of Thames in the southwest. Other small towns on the peninsula include Te Puru , Matarangi , Whangapoua , Whiritoa , Hikuai , Port Jackson, Port Charles, Tairua , Pauanui and Colville . The population of several of these centres

1938-401: The southern and northern extremities of the bay, and the Mercury Islands are 10 km to the north. The Whanganui A Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve is in the southern part of the bay. Named locations along Mercury Bay include Buffalo Beach, Wharekaho, Ferry Landing, Shakespeare Cliff, Lonely Bay, Flaxmill Bay, Cooks Beach, Purangi Estuary , Cathedral Cove and Hahei . Mercury Bay is

1989-459: The spinal blade or blades causes local trauma (from the cut itself), pain, swelling, muscle cramps from the venom and, later, may result in infection from bacteria or fungi. The injury is very painful, but rarely life-threatening unless the stinger pierces a vital area. The blade is often deeply barbed and usually breaks off in the wound. Surgery may be required to remove the fragments. Fatal stings are very rare. The death of Steve Irwin in 2006

2040-443: The spiracles, they can draw water free from sediment directly into their gills for gas exchange. These alternate ventilation organs are less efficient than the mouth, since spiracles are unable to pull the same volume of water. However, it is enough when the stingray is quietly waiting to ambush its prey. The flattened bodies of stingrays allow them to effectively conceal themselves in their environments. Stingrays do this by agitating

2091-754: The stingray's defensive reflex (use of its venomous stinger) may result in serious injury or death. The skin of the ray is used as an under layer for the cord or leather wrap (known as samegawa in Japanese ) on Japanese swords due to its hard, rough texture that keeps the braided wrap from sliding on the handle during use. Several ethnological sections in museums, such as the British Museum , display arrowheads and spearheads made of stingray stingers, used in Micronesia and elsewhere. Henry de Monfreid stated in his books that before World War II , in

Mercury Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue

2142-465: The substrate, the ray will raise its head, generating a suction force that pulls the prey underneath the body. This form of whole-body suction is analogous to the buccal suction feeding performed by ray-finned fish. Stingrays exhibit a wide range of colors and patterns on their dorsal surface to help them camouflage with the sandy bottom. Some stingrays can even change color over the course of several days to adjust to new habitats. Since their mouths are on

2193-450: The superficial capillaries and cell death. Despite the number of cells and toxins that are within the stingray, there is little relative energy required to produce and store the venom. The venom is produced and stored in the secretory cells of the vertebral column at the mid-distal region. These secretory cells are housed within the ventrolateral grooves of the spine. The cells of both marine and freshwater stingrays are round and contain

2244-525: The underside of their bodies, they catch their prey, then crush and eat with their powerful jaws. Like its shark relatives, the stingray is outfitted with electrical sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini. Located around the stingray's mouth, these organs sense the natural electrical charges of potential prey. Many rays have jaw teeth to enable them to crush mollusks such as clams, oysters and mussels. Most stingrays feed primarily on mollusks , crustaceans and, occasionally, on small fish. Freshwater stingrays in

2295-496: The venom penetrates the epidermis and mixes with the mucus to release the venom on its victim. Typically, other venomous organisms create and store their venom in a gland . The stingray is notable in that it stores its venom within tissue cells. The toxins that have been confirmed to be within the venom are cystatins , peroxiredoxin and galectin . Galectin induces cell death in its victims and cystatins inhibit defense enzymes. In humans, these toxins lead to increased blood flow in

2346-661: The west. The peninsula is part of the Thames-Coromandel District and the Waikato Region . The Māori name for the peninsula is Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui , meaning "the barb of Māui's fish". This comes from the legend of Māui and the Fish , in which the demigod uses his hook to catch a great fish (Te Ika-a-Māui or the North Island) from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. In Hauraki Māori tradition,

2397-467: The world. Some species, such as the thorntail stingray ( Dasyatis thetidis ), are found in warmer temperate oceans and others, such as the deepwater stingray ( Plesiobatis daviesi ), are found in the deep ocean . The river stingrays and a number of whiptail stingrays (such as the Niger stingray ( Fontitrygon garouaensis )) are restricted to fresh water . Most myliobatoids are demersal (inhabiting

2448-512: Was depicted with a pā on top of the rock. 36°47′S 175°47′E  /  36.78°S 175.78°E  / -36.78; 175.78 Coromandel Peninsula The Coromandel Peninsula ( Māori : Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui ) on the North Island of New Zealand extends 85 kilometres (53 mi) north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty , forming a natural barrier protecting

2499-498: Was only the second recorded in Australian waters since 1945. The stinger penetrated his thoracic wall and pierced his heart, causing massive trauma and bleeding. The venom of the stingray has been relatively unstudied due to the mixture of venomous tissue secretions cells and mucous membrane cell products that occurs upon secretion from the spinal blade. The spine is covered with the epidermal skin layer. During secretion,

2550-508: Was set aside, and a small memorial was constructed, based on the erroneous notion that it was the location of Cook's observations. But the actual site of Cook's landing and observation was the eastern end of Cook's Beach, near the Purangi estuary . A smaller memorial plinth was established there also. The brig Trial and the schooner Brothers were attacked by Māori on 20 August 1815 in Mercury Bay, when several sailors were killed. The bay

2601-441: Was the resting place of HMS Buffalo , a ship that transported passengers and prisoners to Australia that was wrecked in a storm in 1840. The mouth of Mercury Bay is ten kilometres across, and its coastline extends some 20 km. On the shore of the bay is the resort town of Whitianga , and a natural harbour is formed by an arm of the bay which extends inland a further six kilometres southward. Several small islets are located at

SECTION 50

#1732782887042
#41958