Round ribbontail rays can be found swimming alone or in schools, often accompanied by fish like jacks or cobia.
  • Size

    11 feet (3.4 m)
  • Diet

    Bottom dwelling fishes, bivalves, crabs and shrimp
  • Range

    Indo-West Pacific
  • Habitat

    Reefs and shallow lagoons to outer reef slopes

Physical Characteristics

  • Maximum length of nearly 11 feet (3.4 m) (snout to tail). Disc widths of about 10 feet (3 m) and weights of 330 lbs. (150 kg) have been reported.
  • Deep and prominent ventral skin fold that extends to the tail tip.
  • Large stingray with a circular disc, no thorns, and a black and white mottled upper surface.

 

Animal Fact

The round ribbontail ray species is ovoviviparous, hatching its eggs inside its body then giving birth to live young.

Diet / Feeding

  • Diet consists of bottom dwelling fishes, bivalves, crabs and shrimp.
  • To find prey this ray often excavates large holes in the sand by blowing water from its mouth.

Range / Habitat

  • Occurs in the Indo-West Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa to Southern Japan, Micronesia and tropical Australia.
  • Usually associated with reefs, also found in a wide variety of habitats from shallow lagoons to outer reef slopes.
  • Most commonly encountered from near the surface to depths of 65-200 feet (20-61 m).

Reproduction & Growth

  • Ovoviviparous- eggs hatch internally and are born as live young.
  • Litters of up to seven pups are born at approximately 13 inches (33 cm) in disc width.

Conservation Status

  • “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List.

Additional Information

  • Formerly Taeniura meyeni.
  • Also called the “marbled ray” or “black blotched fantail ray.”
  • Can be found swimming alone or in schools; often accompanied by jacks or cobia swimming near them.
  • Fished commercially in some parts of its range, valued for its meat and cartilage. May also be sought by recreational fishermen. Often also captured as bycatch in other fisheries.
  • A stingray; possesses a venomous barb at the base of the tail.

Sources

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