96
No spine present. Flattened tail base. Damaged right cephalic lobe. Claspers calcified. Captured by trawl.
Measurements:
Disc width: 157cm
Disc length: 91.5cm
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.