The gold of the blue point parsnip Taeniura lymma is a member of the family Dasyatidae. This species is indigenous to the tropical water coral reef systems of the Indo-Pacific, from the Philippines to northern Australia. Significant populations extend from north central to northwestern Australia, along the entire Great Barrier Reef, and from south to northern New South Wales. This species is currently listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) due to habitat degradation and overfishing.

Stingrays have roamed the oceans since long before man declared planet Earth his eminent domain. Paleontologists have unearthed stingray fossils dating back more than 65 million years, before the mass extinction of giant marine reptiles. Ancient sailors were no strangers to this exotic beast. The Greeks knew the manta ray as a trine; the Romans, parsnip. Hercules, although half a god, lost his finger to the bite of a giant stingray. The great Greek hero, Odysseus, was accidentally killed by his son Circe after his grandfather presented him with a spear tipped from a stingray.

Stingrays are cartilaginous fish like their boneless relative, the shark. The blue dotted stripes are greenish-brown with pale blue polka dots of varying sizes scattered across its upper body. The body of this ray and the pectoral fins form a single unit in the form of an oval disk. The blue dot is not a particularly large ray. Its disc only reaches a maximum of 12 inches in diameter when fully developed. Its tail will grow about 1.5 times longer than its body. Their tails have a bright blue line on each side forming an elongated triangle at the tip. Like most stingrays, the blue dot has poisonous barbs on its tail that are used for self defense. Blue dots are also sold in the aquarium industry as blue-spotted stingrays and blue-spotted ribbontail stripes.

Manta rays are bottom-dwelling species. They instinctively cover themselves with sand as a means of camouflage. Stingrays should only be kept in aquariums with a sandy substrate. Courser substrates can damage the stingray’s lower body and lead to possible infection. Never expose stingrays to copper-based medications. This can result in the death of the animal.

Blue dots will require an absolute minimum tank size of 150 gallons with most of the bottom surface area unadorned. A larger aquarium is preferable. This stingray will actually be a suitable candidate for a multi-species fish tank. They rarely care about the coming and going of aerial species, as long as it doesn’t intrude on their substrate dominance. Their barbed tails are not used as a means of predation. However, they won’t hesitate to use it against an aggressor or even a fish curious enough to start poking around. These rays are classified as aggressive species by the aquarium trade. This is due to its predatory instinct and poisonous nature. These are not particularly aggressive creatures, but extreme care should be taken when handling one or performing routine aquarium maintenance.

Blue dots are rated for expert aquarists only. The two main factors that contribute to this level of advanced care are related to their maladaptation to captivity and their general condition. This is a hardy species in its natural habitat. Unfortunately, it rarely reaches retailers in pristine condition. Caring for this species to regain health is often complicated by its reluctance to feed in captivity. If you live in the United States, you may want to consider purchasing a California stingray rather than one that ships from the middle of the planet. They will generally arrive in better condition. However, they are a larger stingray species and will need an even larger aquarium.

Stingrays are carnivorous. If he doesn’t eat when it’s first introduced into your tank, try feeding him ghost shrimp or clean little pieces of squid. It may or may not be suitable for frozen and lyophilized food preparations. Chopped shrimp, scallops, squid, and fish will provide great nutritional value. Once it starts feeding, it will eat any small crustaceans that are living in its tank. They are not suitable for marine reef habitats.