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Mobula
Temporal range: 34–0 Ma Early Oligocene to Present[1]
Mobula sp breaching, Baja California
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Chondrichthyes
Subclass:
Elasmobranchii
Superorder:
Batoidea
Order:
Myliobatiformes
Family:
Myliobatidae
Subfamily:
Mobulidae
Genus:
Mobula

Mobula rays are a group of elasmobranchs, often referred to as devil rays and belong to the sub-family Mobulidae. Mobulidae contain the nine recognised species of mobula ray and the two recognised species of manta rays.[2] Mobulid rays are characterised by their diamond shaped bodies and wing-like pectoral fins that aid in their pelagic lifestyle. [3] Mobula rays in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) have been reported to breach as high as 2 metres above the sea.[4]

Mobulas are found in tropical and temperate seas in both shallow and deep water and planktivorous feeders that have modified gill plates for filtering plankton from the water. [5] Unfortunately, Mobulids, in particular mobula rays, are threatened by anthropogenic activites including pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and direct harvesting for their gill rakers for use in Chinese medicine. Their slow reproductive rate exacerbates these threats. Unfortunately, little is known about the genus, much of it being from anecdotal accounts, and it is therefore difficult to implement protective measures for these threatened species.

Taxonomy and etymology

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Phylogeny of (Myliobatiformes)[6]

Mobula rays are also known as "devil rays" because of their horn-shaped cephalic fins which give them an "evil" appearance.[7] They belong to the class Chondrichthyes because they have tough cartilage rather than bone in their skeletons.[8] Mobulas are elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), in the superorder Batoidea (rays and skates)[6] and the order Myliobatiformes (stingrays and relatives). The genus Mobula is part of the eagle ray family Myliobatidae, where it is grouped in the subfamily Mobulinae along with manta rays.[9]

There are nine described species of mobula ray recognised by Fishbase in which the first was described in the late 1700s[5] :

Mobulas evolved from bottom-dwelling stingrays, eventually developing more wing-like pectoral fins.[10] The mouths of most rays lie on the underside of the head, whereas in mobulas, like in mantas, they are found at the front to enable efficient filter feeding.[11] The description of mobula species has proven to be very difficult due to their morphological similarities and therefore the taxonomic history of the species is complicated. Even now, misidentification is common for example, M. mobular and M. kuhlii are often confused. This problem is often exacerbated by the numerous common names and synonyms that exist for these species. [5]

Fossil record

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While some small teeth have been found, few fossilized skeletons of manta rays have been discovered. Their cartilaginous skeletons do not preserve well as they lack the calcification of the bony fish. Only three sedimentary beds bearing manta ray fossils are known, one from the Oligocene in South Carolina and two from the Miocene and Pliocene in North Carolina.[12] Remains of an extinct species have been found in the Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina. These were originally described as Manta fragilis but were later reclassified as Paramobula fragilis.[13]

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  • School in Mexico
    School in Mexico
  • breaching
    breaching

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Mobula". FishBase. February 2006 version.
  3. ^ Stevens, Guy. "Field guide to the identification of mobulid rays Indo West Pacific" (PDF). Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ^ Paul and Michael Albert (26 June 2005). "The Flying Mobulas of the Sea of Cortez".
  5. ^ a b c Couturier, L. I. E.; Marshall, A. D.; Jaine, F. R. A.; Kashiwagi, T.; Pierce, S. J.; Townsend, K. A.; Weeks, S. J.; Bennett, M. B.; Richardson, A. J. (1 April 2012). "Biology, ecology and conservation of the Mobulidae". Journal of Fish Biology. 80 (5): 1075–1119. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03264.x. PMID 22497374.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dean was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Parsons, G. R. (2006). Sharks, Skates, and Rays of the Gulf of Mexico: A Field Guide. University of Mississippi Press. p. 159. ISBN 1-57806-827-4.
  8. ^ Janvier, P. (1997). "Gnathostomata". Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  9. ^ Froese, R.; Pauly, D.l (eds) (2011). "Family Myliobatidae – Eagle and manta rays". FishBase. Retrieved 2013-02-09. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Martin, R. A. "Manta Ray (Manta birostris) FAQ". ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  11. ^ Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (eds) (2011). "Genus: Mobula". FishBase. Retrieved 2013-02-09. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Manta Bancroft 1829 (manta)". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 2013-05-13. Click on "Age range and collections".
  13. ^ Cicimurri, D. J.; Knight, J. L. (2009). "Late Oligocene sharks and rays from the Chandler Bridge Formation, Dorchester County, South Carolina, USA". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 54 (4): 627–647. doi:10.4202/app.2008.0077. S2CID 53520628.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

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Category:Myliobatidae

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