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Ray Mobula-Mobula Japonaise (Mobula japanica), Magdalena bay, Pacific coast, Mexico.
Mobula japanica is also called Spiny mobula ray or Japanese mobula ray. It is a species of pelagic fish of the Mobulidae family. Mobula japanica is now considered conspecific to Mobula mobular, it would be the same species. In fact it is no longer recognized by the IUCN as Mobula japanica. Mobula japanica can reach a maximum wingspan of 3.10 m, but the average size generally observed is around 2.30 m. It is identifiable by its head which detaches from the body, slight silver reflections on its cephalic fins, the ventral position of its mouth as well as the presence of a small sting on the posterior base of the dorsal fin and a white spot at its top. The color of the dorsal side is dark blue-mauve and a broad black band crosses the head joining one eye to the other. The ventral part is white. Mobula are planktivorous, migratory, slow-growing animals, highly fragmented populations that are scattered throughout tropical and temperate oceans around the world. Their biological and behavioral characteristics (low reproductive rates, late maturity and gregarious behavior) make these species particularly vulnerable to overexploitation in fisheries and extremely slow to recover from depletion. The Mobula japonica ray has a pelagic lifestyle, it can be observed in groups or alone. Its range is not clearly defined, but is found in coastal, offshore and possibly deep waters. This species frequents the tropical and temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean as well as the central-eastern zone of the Atlantic Ocean. This species may be able to tolerate lower water temperatures than other mobulids. As a large species that feeds down the food chain, Mobula can be considered an indicator species of overall ecosystem health. Studies have proposed that the removal of large filter organisms from marine environments can lead to large, cascading changes in species composition.
Mobula japanica is also called Spiny mobula ray or Japanese mobula ray. It is a species of pelagic fish of the Mobulidae family. Mobula japanica is now considered conspecific to Mobula mobular, it would be the same species. In fact it is no longer recognized by the IUCN as Mobula japanica. Mobula japanica can reach a maximum wingspan of 3.10 m, but the average size generally observed is around 2.30 m. It is identifiable by its head which detaches from the body, slight silver reflections on its cephalic fins, the ventral position of its mouth as well as the presence of a small sting on the posterior base of the dorsal fin and a white spot at its top. The color of the dorsal side is dark blue-mauve and a broad black band crosses the head joining one eye to the other. The ventral part is white. Mobula are planktivorous, migratory, slow-growing animals, highly fragmented populations that are scattered throughout tropical and temperate oceans around the world. Their biological and behavioral characteristics (low reproductive rates, late maturity and gregarious behavior) make these species particularly vulnerable to overexploitation in fisheries and extremely slow to recover from depletion. The Mobula japonica ray has a pelagic lifestyle, it can be observed in groups or alone. Its range is not clearly defined, but is found in coastal, offshore and possibly deep waters. This species frequents the tropical and temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean as well as the central-eastern zone of the Atlantic Ocean. This species may be able to tolerate lower water temperatures than other mobulids. As a large species that feeds down the food chain, Mobula can be considered an indicator species of overall ecosystem health. Studies have proposed that the removal of large filter organisms from marine environments can lead to large, cascading changes in species composition.
- Copyright
- vincent pommeyrol
- Image Size
- 7982x5324 / 31.5MB
- Contained in galleries
- Ray Mobula (Mobula japanica) - South Pacific - Mexico
