Taeniura lymma
Silhouette: Richard J. Harris · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. Found from the intertidal zone to a depth of 30 m (100 ft), this species is common throughout the tropical Indian and western Pacific Oceans in nearshore, coral reef–associated habitats. It is a fairly small ray, not exceeding 35 cm (14 in) in width, with a mostly smooth, oval pectoral fin disc, large protruding eyes, and a relatively short and thick tail with a deep fin fold underneath. It can be easily identified by its striking color pattern of many electric blue spots on a yellowish background, with a pair of blue stripes on the tail.
At night, small groups of bluespotted ribbontail rays follow the rising tide onto sandy flats to root for small benthic invertebrates and bony fishes in the sediment. When the tide recedes, the rays separate and withdraw to shelters on the reef. Reproduction is Ovoviviparity. With the females giving birth to litters of up to seven young. This ray is capable of injuring humans with its venomous tail spines, though it prefers to flee if threatened. Because of its beauty and size, the bluespotted ribbontail ray is popular with private aquarists despite being poorly suited to captivity. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Komodo National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Reef ray sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, based on 127 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 24 sharks and rays we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June and November
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Reef ray in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, against about 20% in February, the lowest month.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Reef 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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Reef ray sightings, Ningaloo Marine Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Komodo National Park (Indonesia, about 60%) and Raja Ampat (Indonesia, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Dasyatidae
The closest relatives of the Reef ray that you can see in Ningaloo Marine Park (family Dasyatidae, Whiptail Stingrays) are Broad Cowtail Stingray (about 50%), Dragon stingray (about 30%) and Australian Bluespotted Maskray (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Reef ray is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in Ningaloo Marine Park (127 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.
