Aetobatus ocellatus
Silhouette: M Kolmann · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The ocellated eagle ray or the whitespotted eagle ray, Aetobatus ocellatus, is a species of cartilaginous fish in the eagle ray family Myliobatidae. It is found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region. In the past it was included in the spotted eagle ray (A. narinari), a species restricted to the Atlantic after the split.
Compared to the spotted eagle ray, A. ocellatus has a longer tail (mean total length 281 vs. 263% DW) and a longer stinging spine (mean length 9.7 vs. 8.9% DW). The background coloration of the dorsal surface in A. ocellatus is dark greenish/greying to almost blackish whereas A. narinari is much paler, medium yellowish to brownish. Their foraging range is based on anthropogenic noises with populations structured according to ontogenetic stage.
The ocellated eagle ray exhibits ovoviviparity with embryos feeding on yolk initially, then receiving additional nutrients from the mother through indirect absorption of enriched uterine fluid. The gestation period lasts over 12 months and only produces a few pups.
The ocellated eagle ray feeds primarily on gastropod, bivalve molluscs, crustaceans, worms, octopuses... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Komodo National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-spotted Eagle Ray sighting in Komodo National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 8 sharks and rays we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a White-spotted Eagle Ray in Komodo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month. That is one of Komodo National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 200 mm in January. February has too few records to rate.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-spotted Eagle Ray sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate White-spotted Eagle Ray sightings, Komodo National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 60%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-spotted Eagle Ray is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in Komodo National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
