 Often encountered resting on the bottom during daytime , the reticulate whipray is a predator of bottom @-@ dwelling invertebrates and bony fishes . Like other stingrays , it is aplacental viviparous , with the developing embryos nourished at first by yolk and later by histotroph ( " uterine milk " ) . Females bear litters of up to five pups in summer , following a gestation period of a year . The reticulate whipray is fished in Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian Ocean for meat , skin , cartilage , and other purposes . It is highly susceptible to population depletion because of its large size , inshore habits , and low reproductive rate , and is additionally threatened by extensive habitat degradation . Consequently , the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) has assessed this species as Vulnerable . 
