#lesser devil ray

[i-give-you-a-fish]

Trick or treat!

You get a Bentfin Devil Ray

Mobula thurstoni

[jenrichardsart]

Today's species is the lesser devil ray (Mobula hypostoma), watercolour over pencil sketch. A proposal on protection for other mobula species will be decided on tomorrow at the last day of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission meeting. Fins crossed for success!

[dailyelasmobranch]

Lesser devil ray - Mobula hypostoma

Also known as the Atlantic devil ray, this species is found mostly in the shallow waters of the western Atlantic from North Carolina to northern Argentina. Primarily pelagic throughout its range, the lesser devil ray feeds on planktonic crustaceans and small fish, which it funnels into the mouth using its distinctive cephalic fins. Unlike its relative the giant devil ray (Mobula mobular), the lesser devil ray's long tail lacks a spine entirely. Fully grown, it can reach a maximum width of approximately 3.9ft, and is ovoviviparous like all myliobatoid rays, with females giving birth to one pup per litter. It is a particularly fast-swimming species that can be observed leaping completely out of the water. Currently there is not enough data to determine its status, but it is taken as bycatch.