Kuhl's maskray

Not to be confused with bluespotted ribbontail ray.

Kuhl's maskray
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Neotrygon
Species:
N. kuhlii
Binomial name
Neotrygon kuhlii
Blue-spotted maskray range map

Kuhl's maskray (Neotrygon kuhlii), also known as the blue-spotted stingray, blue-spotted maskray, or Kuhl's stingray, is a species of stingray of the family Dasyatidae. It was recently changed from Dasyatis kuhlii in 2008 after morphological and molecular analyses showed that it is part of a distinct genus, Neotrygon.[2] The body is rhomboidal and colored green with blue spots. Maximum disk width is estimated 46.5 cm (18.3 in).[3] 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.[4] The stingray's lifespan is estimated at 13 years for females and 10 years for males.[5] 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.

  1. ^ Kyne, P.M. & Finucci, B. (2018). "Neotrygon kuhlii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T116847578A116849874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T116847578A116849874.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Last, P. R.; White, W. T. (2008). "Resurrection of the genus Neotrygon Castelnau (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae) with the descriptions of Neotrygon picta sp. nov., a new species from northern Australia" (PDF). CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  3. ^ Pierce, S. J.; Pardo, S. A.; Bennett, M. B. (2009). "Reproduction of the Blue-spotted maskray Neotrygon kuhlii (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae) in southeast Queensland, Australia". Journal of Fish Biology. 74 (6): 1291–1308. Bibcode:2009JFBio..74.1291P. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02202.x. PMID 20735632.
  4. ^ (Randall 2005, p. 18)
  5. ^ Pierce, S. J.; Bennett, M. B. (2009). "Validated annual band-pair periodicity and growth parameters of blue-spotted maskray Neotrygon kuhlii from southeast Queensland, Australia". Journal of Fish Biology. 75 (10): 2490–2508. Bibcode:2009JFBio..75.2490P. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02435.x. PMID 20738504.