A THORNBACK ray washed up on Sandbanks with its wings cut off, prompting a huge response on social media.

Paul Childs found the initially unidentified fish washed up on Sandbanks beach and posted a picture to social media, asking for help identifying what it was.

He said: “I found the poor ray on the beach at Sandbanks on Friday evening at 5.30pm.

“It was dark and quite scary to find such a strange looking creature.

“It was around 70 cm long. So I posted the photo and after hundreds of comments it turns out it could be a thornback ray which has had its wings cut off to be eaten and then it has been discarded into the sea and washed up on the beach.

“From the comments that have been posted I believe they could be protected in the UK but I am not entirely sure.

“It has certainly provoked a lot of reaction on the Facebook post.”

Dr Georgia Jones, senior lecturer in sustainability consumption and impact at Bournemouth University told the Daily Echo: “That does indeed look like a thornback ray (it’s a male) and the wings have been removed.

“It is legal for both commercial and recreational fishers to catch and consume this species though there is a minimum landing size of 40cm (wingtip to wingtip) that means that small specimens must be returned.

“This ray looks like it was larger than 40cm so probably no issue there. In commercial fisheries they are often processed at sea with the bodies discarded which is likely what happened here.”