Common
Names: Blue
spotted stingray, Kuhl’s stingray
Latin
Name: Dasyatis
Kuhlii
Family:
Dasyatidae
Identification:
Rhomboid
disc, Anterior and posterior margins of disc mildly convex. Rostrum grey or tan
with blue (occasionally white) spots about eye size and smaller black spots.
Tail about 2 times body length. End of tail banded with black and white.
Size:
Max
disc width 50cm
Habitat:
Sandy
bottoms often adjacent to
reefs. Prefers deeper areas but may be seen in shallow lagoons.
Abundance
and distribution: Common
in sandy bays in
South East Asia
. Widespread throughout the
Indo Pacific from the
Red Sea
to
Japan
and south to
Australia
.
Behavior:
Buries
in sand or cruises over reef flats looking for crabs and shrimps.
Reproduction:
Ovoviviparous
Observations:
Photographs:
Racha
Yai,
Phuket
,
Thailand
.
Similar species: Blue
stingray (Dasyatis marmorata), Blue
spotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma).
Reaction to divers: Often
explodes from the sand and bolts from divers that unknowingly swim over it’s
resting place. Considered difficult to approach but will allow reasonably close
observation with slow, non threatening movements (stay low and swim on a vaguely
convergent path).
Diving
logistics: There
are many sites where Blue spotted stingrays are present. One place where
you’re almost guaranteed to see them is in the bay at Racha Yai off the coast
of
Phuket
,
Thailand
. Most Phuket dive companies
run day trips to this site. From the bay swim away from shore until you are in
about 40ft of water. I’ve seen perhaps 10 in one dive at this site.
Other diving locations submitted by
readers:
I’ve
also seen blue spotted stingrays in many other Thai dive sites and throughout
Indonesia
. One unusual dive site that
I found lots of Blue spotted rays was on the sand flats surrounding Koh Samui in
the Gulf of Thailand. Max depth is about 10ft and visability is generally very
low. Tanks can be rented from dive
operators on the beaches.
Further
reading:
