Kuhl's Maskray

Neotrygon kuhlii

Kuhl's Maskray — photo 1 of 4
Photo 1 of 4 · Coughdrop12 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
uncommonbluegreenspottedvenomoussolitarymediumsand-rubble
Habitat
Sand & rubble
Max size
47 cm
Family
Dasyatidae

Kuhl's maskray, also known as the blue-spotted stingray, blue-spotted maskray, or Kuhl's stingray, is a species of stingray of the family Dasyatidae. Originally classified in the genus Dasyatis, it was transferred to the genus Neotrygon in 2008 after morphological and molecular analyses showed it to be distinct. The body is rhomboidal and colored green with blue spots. Maximum disk width is estimated 46.5 cm (18.3 in). It is popular in aquaria, but usually not distinguished from the blue-spotted ribbontail ray. The ribbontail has a rounded body, is a brighter green with brighter blue and more vivid spots, but Kuhl's maskray is larger. The stingray's lifespan is estimated at 13 years for females and 10 years for males. The blue-spotted stingray preys on many fish and small mollusks. It is also generally found from Indonesia to Japan, and most of Australia. Kuhl's maskray also is targeted by many parasites, such as tapeworms, flatworms, and flukes.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.