No spine present. Flattened tail base. Damaged right cephalic lobe. Claspers calcified. Captured by trawl.
Measurements:
Disc width: 157cm
Disc length: 91.5cm
Fish market observation. Original catch location unclear.
Fish market observation. Original catch location unclear.
4-5 individuals performing feeding loops in a planktonic bloom.
3 m disc width male feeding on Spratelloides robustus.
Images courtesy of Anton Vogiatzis.
See: Duffy, C. A. J.; Vogiatzis, A. 2016: First record of the sicklefin devilray Mobula tarapacana (Myliobatiformes: Mobulidae) from Australian waters. Zootaxa 4126 (1): 141–145.
Releasing
Releasing
Elasmobranch sample needs identification_#167
The smaller one was a very strange manta or mobula. Significantly smaller than any other manta rays seen around Socorro and uniformed grey color on the top. Also the shape reminded me a bit to mobula rays but was much bigger than any devil ray I saw and was swimming together with an oceanic manta
Washed up on the beach alive and taken to Two Oceans Aquarium.
manta ray cruising outside the Ningaloo Reef. photo taken from R44 helicopter.