Devil fish
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| Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) |
The devil fish, Mobula mobular, also known as the giant devil ray, is an Eagle ray in the family Myliobatidae. They are endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and can be found elsewhere in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, off the southwest coast of Ireland and south of Portugal.
It is larger than the lesser devil ray, and it possesses a spiny tail. The species feeds on crustaceans and small schools of fish.
The devil fish has a limited range and a low rate of reproduction. As a result it is sensitive to environmental changes and increases in fishing. The main threat to this species comes from pollution in the Mediterranean and a wide variety of fishing equipment, including trawls, tuna traps, and dragnets meant for swordfish. The 2004 IUCN Red List listed the devil fish as a vulnerable species, but in 2006 it was reclassified as an endangered species.
[edit] References
- Mobula mobular (TSN 160999). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 28 September 2006.
- "Mobula mobular". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. September 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
