Lesser devil ray
| Lesser devil ray | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Superorder: | Batoidea |
| Order: | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: | Mobulidae |
| Genus: | Mobula |
| Species: | M. hypostoma
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| Binomial name | |
| Mobula hypostoma (Bancroft, 1831)
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| Range of Mobula hypostoma, not including M. rochebrunei | |
| Synonyms | |
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The lesser devil ray (Mobula hypostoma) is a species of devil ray in the family Mobulidae.
Habitat[edit]
These rays live in shallow, warm waters and can be found in shoals of up to 40 individuals, although more often ranging between 2 and 10.[4]
They occur along the coasts of the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to northern Argentina.[5] The related Mobula rochebrunei has occasionally been recovered as a junior synonym of M. hypostoma, extending the species' range to the eastern Atlantic.[6]
Diet[edit]
They mostly feed on zooplankton such as small crustaceans, although they can occasionally eat schooling fish, using their cephalic horns to funnel prey into their mouth.[5]
Description[edit]
Lesser devil rays are relatively small, with a maximum width of about 125 cm (49 in). They have forward-facing cephalic horns, while their long spineless tails distinguish them from their relatives M. mobular.[4][5]
Dorsal coloration varies from light brown to black, although some specimens have been reported as blue.[5] Individuals sometimes possess a dark grey collar between their spiracles.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Marshall, A.; Barreto, R.; Carlson, J.; Fernando, D.; Fordham, S.; Francis, M.P.; Herman, K.; Jabado, R.W.; Liu, K.M.; Rigby, C.L.; Romanov, E. (2019). "Mobula hypostoma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T126710128A896599. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T126710128A896599.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Boonstra, Roxane. "Atlantic devil ray". Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- ^ a b c "West Atlantic Pygmy Devil Ray (Mobula hypostoma)". Manta Trust.
- ^ a b c d "Mobula hypostoma". Florida Museum.
- ^ White, W.T., Corrigan, S., Yang, S., Henderson, A.C., Bazinet, A.L., Swofford, D.L. and Naylor, G.J.P. 2017. Phylogeny of the manta and devilrays (Chondrichthyes, mobulidae) with an updated taxonomic arrangement for the family. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 182(1): 50-75. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx018.
- "Mobula hypostoma". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Mobula hypostoma" in FishBase. February 2006 version.
- C. R. Robins & G. C. Ray (1986). A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
External links[edit]
- Photos of Lesser devil ray on Sealife Collection