Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775)

Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775)

IUCN standard name :: Bluespotted Lagoon Ray Fig. 17 View Figure 17 , Table 2 View Table 2

Material examined.

UPVMI 3114, 104 mm DW, female, fish landing site, Sibunag, Guimaras Province, Philippines, 17 October 2020, coll. J. Fernandez.

Morphological description.

Body small; disc oval. Eyes moderately large and protruding; spiracles large, located just behind eyes. Snout short and broadly angular. Mouth very small. Nostrils moderately short and narrow; nasal flap short, partially covering nostrils; posterior margin fringed, extending beyond mouth. Tooth rows on both jaws, pavement-like; 15 rows on upper jaw, 16 on lower jaw. Pectoral fin horizontally elongated with smooth, rounded margins. Pelvic fin angular. Tail short and stout; lower caudal-fin fold pronounced, reaching tail tip; single strong spine along midsection. Gill slits on underside small, with five slits on each side.

Color of fresh specimen. Dorsal body surface brown to olive-green; underside white; disc covered with bright, large blue spots. Fins brown; pectoral and pelvic fins with a few smaller, denser blue pots. Tail with a pair of black, parallel lines on its side; underside of tail white; caudal-fin fold edges brown.

Color of preserved specimen. Dorsal body surface brown; underside white. Blue spots on disc area and fins transformed into dark brown to black. Pair of black, parallel lines on tail still visible; caudal-fin fold edges dark brown.

Distribution.

Widely distributed in tropical to warm-temperate seas, including the Mediterranean Sea ( Manjaji-Matsumoto et al. 2022).

DNA barcode.

The COI sequence of 617 bp was submitted to GenBank with accession number OR 614476.

Conservation status.

Least Concern

Remarks.

Taeniura lymma , known for its vibrant blue spots, can grow up to 750 mm in TL and 350 mm DW ( Last et al. 2010). This coastal species is widely found throughout Philippine waters, inhabiting depths down to 20 m. It has a broad distribution and is the most common stingray in coral reef areas ( Last and Compagno 1999; Manjaji-Matsumoto 2017). Reports of this species within the country include Cebu, Guimaras Island, Negros Oriental (Siaton), Panay Island, Palawan, Siquijor Island, Sulu (Jolo, Sibutu, Sitankai), and Zamboanga ( Compagno et al. 2005; Gonzales 2013; Manjaji-Matsumoto 2017; Aquino et al. 2023). The collected specimen was easily identified as T. lymma based on its broad tail with two stings, a pair of parallel black lines, and its smooth, oval disc profile covered with numerous vivid blue spots. This identification was confirmed by its COI data, which clustered with other sequences of T. lymma (see Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ).