Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775)

Bluespotted Fantail Ray

Raja lymma Forsskål, 1775: 17 . No types known. Type locality: Al-Luhayya, Yemen, Red Sea.

Local synonymy: Taeniura lymma— Ogilby, 1888: 20 (southeastern New Guinea); Günther, 1910 (in part): 495 (Manus Island); Fowler, 1928: 25 (Port Moresby); Fowler, 1941: 401 (Port Moresby); Munro, 1958: 114 (New Guinea); Munro, 1967: 14, pl. 2, fig. 16 (New Guinea); Allen, 1998: 67 (Milne Bay); Allen et al., 2003: 112 (Milne Bay); Baine & Harasti, 2007: 93, fig. (Bootless Bay); Hamilton et al., 2009: 73 (northern Bismarck Archipelago); Drew et al., 2012: 5 (Bootless Bay); Fricke et al., 2014: 15, fig. 3 (Madang). Taeniura lymna— Macleay, 1883a: 598 (New Guinea); Gochfeld, 1996: 43 (southern New Ireland); White et al., 2018: 260, figs (PNG). Discobatis marginipinnis Miklouho-Maclay & Macleay, 1886: 676, Figs 7–15 (Manus Island). Taeniura lymara— Filewood, 1973: 12 (PNG).

PNG voucher material: (13 spec.) BMNH 1974.5.25.1, female 245 mm DW, north end of Buriwadi Island, Trobriand Islands, 9 May 1970 ; CSIRO H 8100-02, male 151 mm DW, Motupore Island, Bootless Bay, 9°31'19" S, 147°17'2" E, <1 m depth, 15 Sept. 2016 ; FMNH 120119, northwest tip of Motupore Island, Bootless Bay, 9°31'19" S, 147°17'4" E , 21 Jan. 2011; FMNH 120120, female ~ 200 mm DW, fringing reef around Lion Island, Bootless Bay, 9°32'12" S, 147°16'28" E , 21 Jan. 2011; KFRS E.527, juvenile male 148 mm TL, no collection data; KFRS E.611, juvenile male 140 mm DW, Bubuleta, Milne Bay, 10°21'9" S, 150°38'37" E, <1 m, 10 Mar. 2016 ; KFRS E.617, female 180 mm DW, Bubuleta, Milne Bay, 10°20'30" S, 150°39' E, <1 m, 11 Mar. 2016 ; NTUM 10296, adult male 233 mm DW, Madang market, 12 Dec. 2012; USNM 39975, juvenile male 210 mm DW, Port Moresby,; USNM 206313, female 280 mm DW, north coast off Towai Pt, Kiriwina Island ( Labai), Trobriand Islands, 8 Jun. 1970 ; USNM 206314, juvenile male 215 mm DW, Kuia Island, Trobriand Islands, Jun. 1970 ; USNM 222553, embryo 34 mm DW, USNM 222620, female 130 mm DW, east side of Daru wharf, Daru, Western Province, 10 Oct. 1975 .

Remarks: First recorded from PNG by Ogilby (1888) from ‘southeastern New Guinea’. Previously thought to be widespread, but recent description of T. lessoni (see above) suggests T. lymma is replaced by T. lessoni in at least New Ireland and New Britain; more research required to determine whether these two species co-occur in any areas.