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Blue-spotted Fantail Ray
Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775)
A Blue-spotted Fantail Ray at a depth of 19 m, Pulau Redang, east coast of peninsular Malaysia, April 2001. View larger image.
A close-up view of the eyes and spiracles (glossary) of a Blue-spotted Fantail Ray at a depth of 19 m, Pulau Redang, east coast of peninsular Malaysia, April 2001. View larger image.
A Blue-spotted Fantail Ray at a depth of 8 m, Ribbon Reef #3 February 2005. Photo © A. Lumnitzer. View larger image.
Lower surface of the Blue-spotted Fantail Ray (AMS I.39563-001). Note the five gill slits on both sides of the midline. Photo: P. Ovenden © Australian Museum. View larger image.
The Blue-spotted Fantail Ray can be recognised by the blue spots on the disc and pelvic fins, and by the stripe along either side of the tail. There are usually two stings located well back on the tail.
This species grows to a length of 70 cm and a disc width of 30 cm.
It is a common species throughout much of the Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is recorded in shallow tropical marine waters from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north, and south to the northern coast of New South Wales.
Blue-spotted Fantail Rays are known to migrate in large schools into shallow water to feed on molluscs on the rising tide. On the falling tide the fish move back into deeper water to shelter under ledges and in caves.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The fish in the lower image was donated to the Australian Museum by Sydney Aquarium. It was collected in the vicinity of Cairns, Queensland. The long slit was made to allow preservative to enter the body cavity. A rectangular piece of tissue was also removed. This tissue was preserved in alcohol to allow future DNA analysis.
Related links
- Blotched Fantail Ray fact sheet
- View the family Dasyatidae list
- View the Stingrays list
Further reading
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994 Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
