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Blue-spotted Stingray
Dasyatis kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841)
Above and below: A Blue-spotted Stingray at a depth of 23m, Ribbon Reef # 3, Great Barrier Reef, off Cooktown, Queensland, June 2002. View larger image.
A Blue-spotted Stingray at a depth of 15m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales, January 2001. View larger image.
The Blue-spotted Stingray has a grey to brown disc with light blue and black spots. It has a dusky band crossing the eyes and the interorbital region.
This species has a long pale-tipped tail, the posterior third of which is crossed by dark bands.
It grows to a disc width of 40cm and a total length of 70cm.
The Blue-spotted Stingray lives in coastal and estuarine waters. It is often observed buried in sand or mud with only the eyes exposed.
It occurs throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to the New South Wales north coast.
View a low resolution movie clip (50k) of this species. Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- 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.
