Bluespotted stingray

Habitat

Sandy Seabed

Coral reef

Special features

You could say he’s the Dalmatian of the sea! His spotted “coat” shifts in color from purple to bright blue, depending on the light and water around him –  making him not only unique but absolutely stunning.

Appearance

This ray has a rounded, olive-green body disk, beautifully decorated with large, glowing blue spots – hard to miss and even harder to forget!

Natural enemies

Large predatory fish and big marine mammals 

Dangerous/Toxic

The tip of this ray's tail is venomous, so look at it from a distance!

Sketch

Pro tips

You’ll often spot him cruising over sandy or rubble-covered areas around coral reefs – sometimes he’s even buried in the sand! He loves to rest in the shade under overhangs or table corals. His menu? Soft-bodied creatures like mollusks, worms, and shrimp. The blue-spotted stingray isn’t particularly shy and regularly visits cleaning stations – truly a creature who knows how to treat himself.

Text: Carolina Leiter

Pic: Dive Dict

Illustration: Sabine Probst