Hikari Giveaway Xingu River Ray, Potamotrygon leopoldi

[sbell]

As promised, here are some various clsoeups of the Hikari Xingu River Ray, AKA White-blotched river ray. One of many species of freshwater rays from South American, this one hails from the Rio Xingu and Rio Fresco basins in Brazil. It's popular in fish tanks despite being about as easy to keep as any of them (so, not so much). And of course they are potentially threatened, probably as much due to habitat loss as over-collecting. Their habitats vary widely, living in the muddy or sandy substrate in rivers, or in flooded out areas that form ponds and lakes when the waters recede. They are effective carnivores, eating all manner of small animals that can fit in their mouths--from experience, this includes shrimp, fish, worms and shelled inverts.

And it goes without saying that the spines on the tail are sharp and covered in a mucous that contains venom--combined with their lifestyle of remaining hidden in the bottom of the water, this gives them an unpopular reputation.

The figure is about 5cm across the disc, giving it an approximate scale of 1:12 (meaning that I have nothing appropriate to scale it with--a Barbie might be about right, but we don't have one in the house, or anything similar).





Even the ventral surface is well-sculpted


Like many Japanese figures, it requires assembly (minor assembly) but fits well:


And now with a ruler, and tiny Hans, for scale.


Finally, a very small skin diver (I refer to him as Norman, although he may be Kevin according to Safari) gets up close with the Xingu Ray


But he shouldn't get too close--the detail on the figure is such that not just the barb, but the raised denticles and caudal fin are clearly sculpted.

[brontodocus]

Lovely and quite unique figure and a great walk-around, too, Sean! Barbie? I guess Barbie would be around 1/6 scale. But Michelle or Kevin would fit perfectly, then. And I see you have superhero (he has no fear swimming alongside even the largest pliosaurs) Freddie the Free Diver, too, one of my favourite human figures!

[sbell]

Lovely and quite unique figure and a great walk-around, too, Sean! Barbie? I guess Barbie would be around 1/6 scale. But Michelle or Kevin would fit perfectly, then. And I see you have superhero (he has no fear swimming alongside even the largest pliosaurs) Freddie the Free Diver, too, one of my favourite human figures!

Thanks, it's a great figure, I'm glad I finally found one.

I forgot that his name was Freddy. I think there may be two versions of him though--this one is from a Coral Reef box set (now discontinued) as opposed to the much larger Incredible Creatures one that I think I've seen (like the other divers).

[Jetoar]

Really nice replica of this specie. Thanks for share friend  .

[stargatedalek]

incredible

theres good reason these are sometimes called *rough translation* 'wish you were dead fish'

[sbell]

incredible

theres good reason these are sometimes called *rough translation* 'wish you were dead fish'

I've known people that were scratched by the barbs of captive river rays--it is apparently very unpleasant. I've managed to avoid that particular experience, despite handling rays many times in aquariums (and also, dead ones on beaches! I even have a barb from one!).

[widukind]

A really unbelievable figurine!!! Big congrats

[sbell]

A really unbelievable figurine!!! Big congrats

Thanks--it was a longer hunt than normal, especially given that I couldn't even find a photo online of it. But then one day, there it was!