ray
Blotched fantail ray.
Taeniurops meyeni · also: Round ribbontail ray, Marble ray, Black-blotched stingray
A massive, disc-shaped stingray cloaked in marbled grey-and-black mottling — among the largest stingrays on Maldivian reefs. Often seen resting on sand under coral ledges or tended at cleaning stations, it carries long venomous tail spines for defence. Discs up to ~1.8 m across make it an imposing sight.
Size
~1.8 m disc width
Weight
Up to ~150 kg.
Diet
Bottom-dwelling molluscs, crustaceans and bony fishes.
Lifespan
Not well documented; likely well over a decade.
Depth
Mainly inshore ~20–60 m around reefs and sand (recorded to ~500 m).
Reproduction
Live-bearing; the mother nourishes embryos with protein-rich uterine "milk"; up to ~7 pups.
Snorkel or dive
Dive
Best season
Year-round
Conservation
Vulnerable
How to recognise it
Large rounded disc with grey marbled/blotched mottling; short deep tail with a venomous spine.
Behaviour
Bottom-dwelling; rests on sand and under ledges by day; forages for crustaceans and molluscs.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Sandy bottoms beside thilas and channels atoll-wide; gathers on the Halaveli Wreck (N. Ari).
Conservation
Vulnerable — fisheries and habitat degradation; slow to reproduce.
IUCN · Vulnerable
Watch them responsibly
Never approach the tail or stand over it; keep clear of resting animals (the spine is venomous), no touching.
One of the largest stingrays on Maldivian reefs; each marbled pattern looks unique.
After live birth, embryos are fed on "histotroph" (uterine milk) rather than via a placenta.
Collective noun: a fever of rays
Want to dive with blotched fantail ray?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.