TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family:Dasyatidae Family: Dasyatidae  Whiptail Stingrays; whip-like tails, which are much longer than the disc and lack dorsaland caudal fins. They also have one or more venomous spines near the base of the tail.

Genus/species: Dasyatis kuhlii

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GENERAL/CHARACTERISTICS: Angular disc. Dorsal color reddish-brown to olive drab with blue spots and smaller black spots, ventral side white. Tail with black and white bands is about as long as the body and usually has one stinging spine.

Maximum disc width: 50 cm (20 inches).

DISTRIBUTION/ HABITAT: Tropical Indo-West Pacific from the Red Sea east to the Philippines, Japan, and south to Australia. Found on sandy bottoms near coral and rocky reefs, from intertidal zone to 50 m (160 feet). Moves onto reef flats and into shallow lagoon waters at high tide.

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DIET IN THE WILD: Crabs and shrimp, also small fishes.

REPRODUCTION: Ovoviviparous; eggs retained in the female’s body; embryos receive nourishment from a yolk sac.

REMARKS: The Bluespotted Whiptail Stingray is venomous tail can deliver a painful wound. Like many other rays that wound humans, it usually stings only when inadvertently stepped on: it is difficult to see in turbid waters, especially when covered by sand with only the eyes visible.

References

California Academy of Sciences Reef Lagoon 2016

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-YD

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/5035114327/in/album-72157627919810858/