Taeniura lessoni Last, White & Naylor, 2016
Oceania fantail ray

Family:  Dasyatidae (Stingrays), subfamily: Neotrygoninae
Max. size:  20.9 cm WD (male/unsexed); 22 cm WD (female)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range - 18 m,
Distribution:  Central Pacific: Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, but possibly more widely distributed in Melanesia.
Diagnosis:  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).
Biology:  This species probably occur mainly inshore, with types collected from surge channels in fringing coral reefs, to at least 18 m depth (Ref. 110363)..
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 22 June 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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