bluespotted ribbontail ray fun facts

Towards the end of the tail are two spikes with venom. The Indo-PacificThese rays are shy around humans and will probably swim away If approached. They are found between depths of 2-30 meters. The body is covered in bright blue spots of varying sizes and each individual has its own pattern of spots. The blue spotted ray, also known as the blue spotted ribbontail ray, belongs in the Dasyatidae family. The body is covered in bright blue spots of varying sizes and each individual has its own pattern of spots. Best to stay well clear of any ray as Steve Erwin also found out.The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray are caught and eaten in Tanzania by subsistence fishermen. However, they do possess two venomous spines on their tail that can cause a very painful. Some twenty years ago a visiting yachtsman in Kilwa, Tanzania  attempted to rescue one of these rays from a fishing net and one of the spines pierced his femoral artery. They can give an extremely painful sting and one should always stay clear of rays. The pectoral fins form the disc of the ray and towards the rear of the body below the disc are the smaller pelvic fins.The tail extends back from the disc and has a prominent blue stripe down either side. Unlike most rays, it rarely buries itself under the sand. They use electroreception to help locate prey, picking up on subtle temperature differences and electrical fields generated by other animals in the sand. The young are approximately 12-14 cm wide and are fully developed, Being small they are adept at hiding. They tend to swim low over the bottom kicking up sand and change direction every few meters and swim a zig zag course. The bluespotted ribbontail ray can be found in shallow temperate and tropical waters throughout. The mouth can be clearly seen.Bluespotted Ribbontail rays exhibit Ovoviviparity  or aplacental viviparity.

When they are hidden in the sand and a diver approaches too close they will often break cover and take off at a high speed. Bluespotted Ribbontail ray’s grow to 35 cm in width and up to 80 cm in length and weigh up to 5 kg.Being nocturnal feeders, during the day Bluespotted Ribbontail Rays are usually seen hiding under the over hang of corals. The Blue Spotted Ray. In the shadows the blue spots give quite effective camouflage. At night, small groups of bluespotted ribbontail rays follow the rising tide onto sandy flats to root for small The bluespotted ribbontail ray was originally described as The skin is generally smooth, save for perhaps a scattering of small thorns on the middle of the back.One of the most abundant stingrays inhabiting Indo-Pacific reefs, the bluespotted ribbontail ray generally spends the day hidden alone inside caves or under coral ledges or other debris (including from Breeding in the bluespotted ribbontail ray occurs from late spring to summer; the male follows the female and nips at her disc, eventually biting and holding onto her for Known predators of the bluespotted ribbontail ray include While timid and innocuous towards humans, the bluespotted ribbontail ray is capable of inflicting an excruciating wound with its On night dives they are often encountered over sandy areas and will generally take off at a high speed. The underside of the body where the mouth is situated is a light grey- brown colour. He bled to death in minutes. Some Public aquariums with large tanks have succeeded in breeding them.Alan Sutton is an underwater photographer and writer at Seaunseen. The eyes are a bright yellow colour and they have the ability to change the size of their pupils.

They will occasionally be seen hidden in the sand but this is not comm0n. Once found they envelop the prey with their disc and use their powerful mouths to crush them. This wonderful creature can be found living near the bottom of warm waters in the Indo-West Pacific region.

Rays are closely related to sharks and they have cartilaginous skeletons rather than bone and they have no swim bladder. Additional nutrition is obtained from uterine secretions known as histroph. Bluespotted Fantail Rays have large protruding eyes, and venomous spines positioned well back on the tail that may produce a very painful sting. These can be seen pictured below.