Blue Spotted Ray

Blue Spotted Ray

The blue spotted ray is the common species found throughout the Red Sea. It can be recognized by blue spots available on disc as well as pelvic fins, and also by stripes along tail’s either side. Usually, two stings are located towards the tail’s back. The width of the disc is around 30 cm, and length around 70 cm. Blue spotted rays are known for migrating to huge schools, that too into shallow waters for feeding on mollusks which come with rising tide. When the tide falls, fish go back to the deep water for taking shelter in caves and under ledges.

Blue spotted stingray

This stingray can be immediately recognized by its huge, iridescent, bright spots which embellish its elongated, oval body. The tail has distinguishing blue stripes running along the tail’s either side. It is endowed with 1 or 2 sharp spines (containing venom) at its tip. These are being used by the blue spotted stingray for fending off predators. The bright colored skin enacts the role of Warner, i.e. through its coloration it alerts the other animals about the presence of venom.

The snout has a circular shape. The mouth is located on the body’s underside. The gills are also located there. They perform the task of scooping the animals up, especially those who are hiding in sand. The mouth has two plates. They have been adapted to crush shells of mollusks, prawns, and crabs. The color of body’s upper surface ranges between grey-brown and yellow, or olive-green and reddish brown. The underside has a white color. If one tries to view the blue spotted stingray from below, he would observe that the blending of white belly with sunny waters has taken place. If viewed from the above, it would be observed that blending of mottled, dark back with the ocean floor has taken place.

Biology

The biological specifications of blue spotted stingtail can be stated as follows: It is better known as ‘blue spotted ribbontail ray’, and ‘blue spotted fantail ray’. The kingdom is ‘Anamalia’. ‘Chordata’ is the phylum. The class is ‘Chondrichthyes’. ‘Rajiformes’ is the order. The family is ‘Dasyatidae’. ‘Taeniura’ is the genus.

Habitat

Blue Spotted stingray is found on rocky or sandy bottoms of reefs of corals, in not so deep continental ‘shelf waters’. Its place of hiding is reef caves, that too under tabletop overhangs and corals. The movement of this stingray goes up to lagoons and shallow ref flats. They do not bury themselves in sand. Thus they stand out from other stingrays in this respect.

Threats

The blue spotted stingray has been subject to variety of man-made threats, despite of being both- common and wide-ranging. Enormous destruction of ‘Coral Reef’ habitat poses a significant threat to species. Poisoning through farm fertilizers and pesticides running in to sea causes a great deal of harm. The hunting of this ray is constantly carried out by the way of inshore fisheries. Its gorgeous coloration has made it a striking candidate in terms of an ‘Aquarium Pet’. These species, however, hardly survive as pets, owing to the outgrowing in home aquariums.

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