Australian bluespotted maskray
📖 Overview
A demersal fish found inshore to mid-continental ad insular shelves . Found over and adjacent to rocky and coral reefs from shallow water to at least 91 m depth .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
This species of the kuhlii-complex (reaching at least 45 cm DW; males maturing at ca. 28 cm DW) is distinguished by the following set of characters: disc is much broader than long, width 1.2-1.3 times length; pectoral apices are narrowly angular; snout fleshy, broadly rounded to weakly angular, with angle 101-103°, length 1.6-2.1 times interorbital width; maximum width relatively well back on disc, length from snout tip to pectoral-fin insertion 1.7-1.8 times and disc width 2.3-2.5 times horizontal distance from snout tip to maximum disc width; preoral length 1.8-2.3 times the mouth width; internasal distance 1.3-1.6 in prenasal length; interspiracular distance 14-16% DW; nostril length 3.4-4% DW; nasal curtain width 8.4-9.1% DW; with small mouth, width 6.5-7.3% DW; horizontal distance from cloaca to the caudal sting base 42-52% of disc length; with thornlets in nuchal and lumbar regions in large individuals, none from tail in all sizes; no dermal denticles entirely from body; pectoral-fin radials 105-113; total vertebral centra (including synarcual) 129-134, trunk centra (including synarcual) 37-41; with large blue spots, the largest spot on disc 0.7-1.2 times eye width; 2-17 (mean 9.4) blue spots on medial belt, largest 3.3-5.6% DW; mask-like marking subtle, usually lightly covered with dark peppery spots (dark spots not widespread over central disc); the ventral surface of disc with distinct dark greyish brown submarginal bands; ventral tail fold is almost entirely dark .: other; Cross section: flattened.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Australian bluespotted maskray is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; depth range 23 - 91 m . Tropical Indian Ocean to Western Pacific: Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
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