Bluespotted stingray
Taeniura lymma
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
1. spots
2. caudal fin
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
