Black-Spotted Ray

Also called: Black-blotched Ray, Blotched Fantail Ray

Scientific name: Taeniura meyeni

The smaller rays are usually spotted skimming the bottom, and can be very hard to see if they're not moving. But the one above was quite unusual. He came swimming by our group well above the bottom, and then, even more surprisingly, stopped and literally "posed" for those of us with cameras. He slowly twirled a bit one way, then the other, and then slowly sank down to the bottom.

The black-spotted ray is a stingray, but it is generally not aggressive and only a single human fatality has ever been recorded.

Please note: Identification of fish, corals, etc. is a tricky business. It's entirely possible that I've incorrectly identified a photo I've taken. If you spot an error, please contact me so I can correct it and improve this resource.