Bluespotted ribbontail ray

Lore & Background

The bluespotted ribbontail ray was originally described as Raja lymma by Swedish naturalist Peter Forsskål in 1775. The specific epithet lymma means 'dirt'. In 1837, German biologists Johannes Peter Müller and Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle created the genus Taeniura for Trygon ornatus, now known to be a junior synonym of this species. Morphological examination has suggested that this ray is more closely related to the amphi-American Himantura and the river stingrays than to the congeneric blotched fantail ray.

This ray has a mostly smooth, oval pectoral fin disc, large protruding eyes, and a relatively short and thick tail with a deep fin fold underneath. The dorsal coloration consists of numerous circular, neon blue spots on a yellowish brown or green skin; the tail has two stripes of the same blue. At night, small groups follow the rising tide onto sandy flats to root for small benthic invertebrates and bony fishes. When the tide recedes, they withdraw to shelters on the reef. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with females giving birth to litters of up to seven young.

Known predators include hammerhead sharks and bottlenose dolphins. When threatened, this ray tends to flee at high speed in a zigzag pattern. It is capable of injuring humans with its venomous tail spines, though it prefers to flee if threatened.

Reader's Guide

The bluespotted ribbontail ray is one of the most abundant stingrays inhabiting Indo-Pacific reefs. It is popular with private aquarists because of its beauty and size, yet it seldom fares well in captivity; many specimens refuse to feed, and seemingly healthy individuals often inexplicably die or stop feeding. A higher degree of success has been achieved by public aquariums, with a breeding project maintained by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. The ray is utilized as food in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia, captured intentionally or incidentally using gillnets, longlines, spears, and fence traps. The IUCN has assessed it as Least Concern, though it faces continuing degradation of its coral reef habitat throughout its range from development and destructive fishing practices using cyanide or dynamite. Its populations are under heavy pressure by artisanal and commercial fishing.

Did You Know?

• It can be easily identified by its striking color pattern of many electric blue spots on a yellowish background, with a pair of blue stripes on the tail.
• This ray is capable of inflicting an excruciating wound with its venomous tail spines, though it prefers to flee if threatened.
• Females give birth to litters of up to seven young, each measuring around 13–14 cm across.