Ribbontail Ray

ID points

• Round disc-shaped body with thin soft edges
• Tail slightly longer than the disc is wide, with a skin fold at the end
• Often lies half buried in the sand beside the reef

Basics

Family

Dasyatidae

Length

30–60 cm

Depth

1-30 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs

Distribution

Sandy bottoms of shallow tropical coral reefs

Habitat

Reef sand patches in shallow water

Diet

Crustaceans, small fish

Easily confused with

StingrayFlat disc- or diamond-shaped body, lying buried in the sandBlue-spotted Ribbontail RayRings of vivid electric blue spots on a yellow-brown groundAngel SharkFlattened like a ray, but the gill slits open on the sides of the body

Fun fact

The ribbontail ray is known for its extremely long, thread like tail, which can be more than 3 times the width of its disc and trails out behind like a ribbon as the ray glides slowly over the sand.