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Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Ease of keeping: moderately difficult
Maximum size: approximately 25 cm (10 inches) in disc diameter, up to 70 cm long
Minimum recommended tank size: 125 gallons
Native location: Coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, western Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, western Australia. Found at depths of up to 20 m.
Temperature: 78-82º F
pH: approximately 8.3
Physical description:
This small, rounded stingray displays a yellowish tan base color covered by small electric blue spots on its dorsal surface. The tail is long, thick, and ribbon-like with an electric blue stripe running along each side. The venemous spine is located approximately three-quarters of the way down the tail and is enclosed in a thin, fleshy sheath. The eyes are located in front of the spiracles and are large, protruding, and reflective when viewed in dim light, like a cat's. The underside of this ray is a very pale cream color to white and displays 10 gill slits, 5 on each side of the body underneath the mouth. The skin texture is smooth and velvety.
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Diet:
In the wild, these fishes feed on molluscs, crustaceans such as shrimp and hermit crabs, polychaete worms, and small fishes. In captivity, they will eat cut shrimp, mussels, earthworms, and cut fish.
Bluespotted ribbontail stingrays hunt their prey using electroreceptive organs called the ampullae of Lorenzini that are located underneath their discs around the mouth and towards the front.
Breeding:
Taeniura lymma has not been known to breed readily in captivity.
Fertilization is internal in bluespotted ribbontail stingrays. During mating, the male will grab hold of the female's disc with his mouth and attempt to roll underneath her, where he will subsequently insert one of his claspers into her cloaca and deposit sperm.
These stingrays are oviviviparous, meaning that the female retains the young within her body until they are fully developed and ready to fend for themselves. During the first stages of pregnancy, the embryos obtain nourishment from their yolk sacs. Later, after this resource runs out, the mother provides the embryos with a nutritious fluid via special intrauterine structures. T. lymma typically gives birth to up to 7 young at a time.
Gender differences:
Males display elongated, rolled copulatory organs called claspers on the insides of their pelvic fins. Females lack claspers and are generally larger than the males.
Aggression:
Generally peaceful. Can be kept with large, peaceful fishes that tend to avoid the bottom areas ofthe tank. Any tankmates that are small enough to fit in the rays mouth are not recommended.
Notes:
VENEMOUS!!! Please handle with care.
Please provide this animal with a thick layer of fine, minimally abrasive aragonite sand or substrate to accomoated its natural instict to bury itself when threatened. T. lymma needs plenty of surface area in which to move about, as well as a number of places to seek shelter during the night, including caves and ledges.
Resources and Links
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site...iura_lymma.html
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=320
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This post has been edited by Histrix: 16 June 2006 - 07:27 PM
