A large stingray with a circular disc, no thorns, a black and white mottled upper surface, and a deep and prominent ventral skin fold that extends to the tail tip.

Biology

Length: It reaches a maximum size of 180 cm disc width (DW). Males mature at 100-110 cm DW. size at birth is 30-35 cm DW. 

Gestation period: Unknown

Litter size: upto 7 pups in a litter

Life expectancy: Age data is not available, but generation length can be estimated using data from another large dasyatid, the Brown Stingray (Dasyatis lata), females of which mature at 15 years and reach 28 years (Dale and Holland 2012), giving an estimated generation length of 21.5 years.

Diet: Feeds on bottom fish, bivalves, crabs and shrimp.

Habitat and distribution

Habitat: The Blotched Fantail Ray is benthic around coral reef habitats and on sand substrates. 

Distribution: The Blotched Fantail Ray has a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution including East Africa, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, India, Southeast Asia, China, southern Japan, northern Australia and western Pacific islands.

Depth: 0-439 m

Known landing centres: Junglighat, Burmanallah, Wandoor, Dignabad, Cochin fisheries harbour, Mangaluru and Malpe fisheries harbours.

Commercial value

This species is utilized for its meat and cartilage.

Threats

The Blotched Fantail Ray is caught by line gear and trawl throughout its range.

References

Last, P.R. and Stevens, J.D. (2009) 
Sharks and Rays of Australia. Second Edition. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

White, W.T. and Dharmadi (2007)
Species and size compositions and reproductive biology of rays (Chondrichthyes, Batoidea) caught in target and non-target fisheries in eastern Indonesia. Journal of Fish Biology 70: 1809-1837.

Compagno, L.J.V., Ebert, D.A. and Smale, M.J. (1989) 
Guide to the sharks and rays of Southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town. 160 pp.

Dale, J.J. and Holland, K.N. (2012)
Age, growth and maturity of the brown stingray (Dasyatis lata) around Oahu, Hawai'i. Marine and Freshwater Research 63: 475-484.

Michael, S.W. (1993)
Reef sharks and rays of the world. A guide to their identification, behavior, and ecology. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California. 107 p.