Pygmy devil ray | |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Elasmobranchii |
Order: | Myliobatiformes |
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 bycatch at several fisheries, being entangled in nets meant for other species. It is marketed in Thailand and possibly elsewhere in southeast Asia.