Dasyatis kuhlii
Bluespotted Ray [+]
Description & Behavior
The bluespotted ray, Dasyatis kuhlii (Müller and Henle, 1841), aka blue spotted stingray, blue-spotted stingray, or blue-spotted maskray, is usually reddish-brown to green with bright blue centered spots (ocelli) and scattered black spots on the dorsal side. The ventral side is white. They have very short, broad, angular snouts and the disc is angular with a total length of 70 cm. The tail is as long as the body with conspicuous black and white rings and a short upper caudal finfold, and longer lower finfold that ends behind the tail tip. There is usually one stinging spine on the tail.
World Range & Habitat
Bluespotted rays are found in the Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea, Zanzibar (Tanzania), South Africa, India, Sri Lanka east to the Philippines, north to Japan, and south to Australia, where it is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to the New South Wales north coast. There are a number of different colored morphs in the Indo-Pacific, which may be different species.
The bluespotted ray is a solitary species found on sandy bottoms near rocky or coral reefs. They are usually found in deeper water but are also seen on reef flats and in shallow lagoons at high tide. They are occasionally found covered in sand with just the eyes and tail visible.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
The bluespotted ray preys on crabs and shrimps and possibly other small prey.
Life History
The bluespotted ray is an ovoviviparous species. There is a distinct pairing with embrace and pups measure 16 cm at birth.
Ovoviviparous: eggs are retained within the body of the female in a brood chamber where the embryo develops, receiving nourishment from a yolk sac. This is the method of reproduction for the "live-bearing" fishes where pups hatch from egg capsules inside the mother's uterus and are born soon afterward. Also known as aplacental viviparous.
Conservation Status/Additional Comments
The venomous tail spine can inflict a painful wound. They sting only when stepped on, but they are difficult to see since they are often buried in sandy bottoms.
References & Further Research
BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia
Blue-spotted Stingray, Dasyatis kuhlii - Australian Museum
ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research - Biology of Sharks and Rays
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