Pygmy devil ray
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Pygmy devil ray | ||||||||||||||
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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.
[edit] References
- Pierce, S.J. & Bennett, M.B. (2003). Mobula eregoodootenkee. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 13 Oct 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
- "Mobula eregoodootenkee". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. October 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.