All fish / Dasyatidae

Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray

Taeniura lymma

Also known as blue spotted stingray, bluespotted stingray, blue spot ray, ribbontail stingray, blue-spotted ribbontail ray, ribbontail ray, bluespot lagoon ray, กระเบนทองบั้ง, pari bintik biru, ヤッコエイ, pari totol biru, pari kembang

An oval, olive to tan stingray covered in bright electric blue spots, with two blue stripes running down its tail. It is bought for its striking looks, but it rarely settles well in home aquariums.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1500 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair in a very large system

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and small fish, fed several times a day

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years in good care, often far less in captivity

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific and Red Sea, from East Africa to the Solomon Islands and northern Australia

Breeding

It gives birth to live young after an internal gestation, with litters of up to seven pups. Captive breeding is very rare and usually happens only in public aquariums.

Good to know

Many imports refuse food and die within weeks, so it is best left to experts with huge systems and soft sand. The tail spine is venomous, and the ray will eat crustaceans and small fish.