Blue Dolphin vs Butterfly ray

Stenella coeruleoalba compared with Gymnura micrura

Key Differences

• Blue Dolphin is Least Concern while Butterfly ray is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue Dolphin	Butterfly ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)	Gymnuridae
Genus	Stenella	Gymnura
Species	Stenella coeruleoalba	Gymnura micrura

Evolutionary Relationship

Blue Dolphin and Butterfly ray share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Blue Dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Butterfly ray

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue Dolphin	Butterfly ray
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue Dolphin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Butterfly ray

Habitat

Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Blue Dolphin

Blue Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Butterfly ray

The Butterfly ray (Gymnura micrura) is a species in the genus Gymnura. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇻🇪 Venezuela