Bluespotted stingray

Not to be confused with bluespotted ribbontail ray.

Bluespotted stingray
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Myliobatiformes
Family:	Dasyatidae
Genus:	Neotrygon
Species:	N. kuhlii
Binomial name
Neotrygon kuhlii (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1841)

The bluespotted stingray (Neotrygon kuhlii) or Kuhl's stingray, is a species of stingray of the Dasyatidae family. It is light green with blue spots. Their disk width hovers around 67 centimeters (26 in). They are popular in aquaria but usually not distinguished from the Bluespotted ribbontail ray. The ribbontail is rounder with brighter green and more/more vivid spots; the bluespotted stingray is also larger.^[1]

Habitat

The bluespotted stingray is commonly found in waters of depths about 0–90 meters or 0–295 feet. It is found near the rocky or coral reefs. At high tide the bluespotted stingray moves out into the shallow lagoons and reef flats.^[2] Found in Australia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania.^[3]

The entire figure of a blue-spotted stingray, with a thin, long, rod-like tail that distinguishes it from the blue-spotted ribbontail ray. Taken in Lombok, Indonesia.

Reproduction

The bluespotted stingray is ovoviviparous. This means that the embryos are retained within the mother's body in eggs until ready to be hatched. The babies receive nourishment from the mothers uterine fluid. Mothers give birth to one or two pups, these pups range from 6 inches in width to 13 inches in length at birth.^[4]

Protected Areas

Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar Site in Queensland, Australia and The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park also in Queensland, Australia.

Parasites

The bluespotted stingray is a host for many parasites such as Cephalobothrium longisegmentum and Tylocephalum kuhli of the cestodes cephalobothriidae group. The Trygonicola macroporus of the cestodes mixodigmatidae. The Acanthobothrium bengalens, the Acanthobothrium confusum, Acanthobothrium herdmani, and the Acanthobothrium pingtanensis of the cestodes onchobothriidae. The Echeneibothrium trygonis, the Phyllobothrium ptychocephalum, the Rhinebothrium shipleyi, the Scalithrium shipleyi, and the Scalithrium trygonis of the cestodes phyllobothriidae. The Dendromonocotyle kuhlii, the Heterocotyle chinensis, the Monocotyle kuhlii, and the Monocotyle tritestis of the monogeneans monocotylidae family. The Prosorhynchus clavatum of the trematodes monocotylidae, and the Didymozoid larva of the tresatodes didymozoidae.^[5]

References

1. ^ (Randall 2005, p. 18)
2. ^ "Neotrygon kuhlii". International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. 2007. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/161590/0. Retrieved October 21, 2011. 
3. ^ "Neotrygon kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841)". World Register of Marine Species. 2009. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=398330. 
4. ^ Bester, Cathleen (November 11, 2011). "Blue Spotted Stingray". Florida Museum of Natural History. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/Descript/bluespottedsray/bluespottedsray.html. 
5. ^ "Host-parasite Database". Natural History Museum. November 13, 2011. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/host-parasites/database/results.jsp?location=&paragroup=&showparasites=on&paraspecies=&fmhostgenus=Contains&fmparagenus=Starts+with&showrefs=on&fmsubgroup=Starts+with&search=Search&groupby=parasite&pstatus=&showhosts=on&paragenus=&fmparaspecies=Starts+with&subgroup=&showgrouping=on&fmhostspecies=Starts+with&hstate=&hostgenus=Dasyatis&hostspecies=kuhlii. 

Bibliography

• Randall, John E. (2005). Reef and Shore Fishes of the South Pacific: New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2698-7. http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-3183-9780824826987.aspx. 

External links

• Bluespotted Ray Photo Gallery (Red Sea)