Pygmy devil ray

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Pygmy devil ray
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rajiformes
Family: Myliobatidae
Genus: Mobula
Species: M. eregoodootenkee
Binomial name
Mobula eregoodootenkee
(Bleeker, 1859)

The Pygmy devil ray (Mobula eregoodootenkee) is a species of Eagle ray in the genus Mobula. It is endemic to the Indian Ocean and central-west Pacific Ocean. It ranges from South Africa in the west to the Philippines in the east, north to Vietnam, and south to the northern coast of Australia.

It is a brownish-grey colour, with a whitish underside. It grows up to 100 cm wide. The species feeds on plankton and small fish.

The Pygmy devil ray is an ovoviviparous fish, usually giving birth to a single pup in shallow waters. The young stay in these waters until they mature.

The ray is likely a by-catch at several fisheries, being entangled in nets meant for other species. It is marketed in Thailand and possibly elsewhere in southeast Asia.

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