Mobula kuhlii | fishIDER

Elasmobranchii Mobulidae Mobula kuhlii

Lesser devilray

Characteristic features:

Colour:

Dorsal surface blackish to greyish brown, ventral surface mostly white.

Size:

Attains at least 120 cm DW; born at about 31 cm.

Distribution:

Found throughout the Indo–West Pacific, but range not well documented.

Habitat:

An uncommon inshore pelagic species.

Biology:

Feeds on swarms of mysid shrimp and larval fish, and possibly other planktonic organisms. Males mature at ~115 cm DW. Viviparous, with histotrophy; probably giving birth to only a single pup.

Indonesian fisheries:

Caught rarely in the tuna gillnet fisheries. Utilised for its gill filter plates (high value), meat, cartilage and skin.

Similar species:

Mobula eregoodoo
Longhorned pygmy devil ray

Mobula eregoodoo differs in having a distinctive dark blotch midway along the anterior margin on the ventral surface of the pectoral fin (vs. no dark blotch present here).

to Mobula eregoodoo

External links:

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM