Blue-spotted Maskray

Neotrygon orientalis

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Dasyatidae
Genus: Neotrygon
Species: Neotrygon orientalis

The blue-spotted maskray (Neotrygon orientalis) is a small stingray with a brownish disc covered in bright blue spots and a dark mask over the eyes. It was long known as Neotrygon kuhlii, but that name is now restricted to a different population, and the Philippine form is N. orientalis.

Its disc grows to about 30-40 cm across. It often lies half-buried in sand and feeds on worms, crabs and shrimps. Like all stingrays, it carries a venomous tail spine, so give it space.

In the Philippines it is common on sandy slopes and rubble. It is often confused with the bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma), which has an oval disc, blue tail stripes and usually hides under coral ledges.

Photo: Jean-Paul Boerekamps, CC0 1.0, via iNaturalist