Oceania fantail (blue spotted) ray

The Oceania fantail (blue spotted) ray (Taeniura lessoni), named for René Lesson, the the French scientist in the 19th century who once worked on members of this genus in Melanesia.

Short description

Oceania fantail (blue spotted) ray

This small, blue-spotted stingray is distinguished by the following characters:

absence of a pair of blue longitudinal stripes along the sides of the tail;
uniformly pale ventral fold;
absence of the dorsal fold but upper margin of tail with a firm, blunt ridge;
a relatively short post-orbital disc (length from rear of orbit to pectoral-fin insertion 63-65% WD), with a relatively long horizontal snout length (20-21% DW) and prenasal length 14-16% DW, and prenasal length 1.5-1.9 times internasal width

(Ref. 110363)

Update April 2017 Great Fiji Shark Count

The name for this species has been changed as of the April 2017 Great Fiji Shark Count. This has brought us in line with international taxonomic nomenclature.

Old name used in Great Fiji Shark Count : Bluespotted ribbontail ray (brown ray)
New name used in Great Fiji Shark Count : Oceania fantail (blue spotted) ray

Throughout the months of April and November every year, you have the opportunity to help celebrate and record Fiji’s amazing coral reef biodiversity, show you care about our world’s delicate coral reef systems, and have fun, by taking part in the FIJI-WIDE SHARK COUNT!

Easy to do, this is suitable for visitors and locals alike, whether you like to fish, snorkel, or SCUBA dive. We hope that tourists, school children, scientists and all people with an interest in the marine environment will take to the reefs with us to search for the Sharks of Fiji!

The Great Fiji Shark Count will be held across Fiji every April and November every year.

You can do a single count, or take part as many times as you like during that month, so that you cover different reefs. All data will be gratefully accepted!

So, see your resort, watersports operator or travel agent, get your Shark identification materials and dive into the beautiful blue waters of Fiji, to be a part of history!