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Size
4 feet (1.2 m) -
Diet
Planktonic crustaceans and small schooling fishes -
Range
Western and Eastern Atlantic Ocean -
Habitat
Tropical and warm temperate waters
Physical Characteristics
- Has a unique body shape very similar to that of the more familiar manta ray: a diamond-shaped outline with a wide mouth flanked by two broad, flexible, fleshy cephalic lobes. However, its head is narrower proportionally than that of a manta.
- The cephalic lobes are kept rolled and pointed forward except when it is feeding and they are opened to direct food into the mouth.
- The mouth has teeth in the upper and lower jaw.
- Can grow to about 4 feet (120 cm) in width.
- The upper body surface is black. The outer cephalic lobes and lower part of the body and tail are pale yellowish or grayish white.
- Tail is long and whip-like and does not contain a spine.
Animal Fun Fact
The lesser devil ray is often spotted swimming near the surface, and can jump completely out of the water.
Diet / Feeding
- The lesser devil ray is a pelagic feeder that consumes planktonic crustaceans and small schooling fishes.
- Has been observed feeding as it swims along the bottom in seagrass beds using its two unrolled cephalic lobes to direct prey into its mouth.
Range / Habitat
- Western and Eastern Atlantic Ocean
- Marine pelagic species, usually found in large fevers.
Reproduction & Growth
- This ray is ovoviviparous, meaning that the embryo develops within an egg retained in the mother’s uterus and most of the embryonic nutrition is supplied by the egg yolk. The mother provides only some of the nutrition to the embryo. A single pup is born fully formed and closely resembles an adult.
- Size at birth is about 22 inches (55 cm) in disk width. Reproduction is believed to occur annually or every other year.
Conservation Status
- “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List.
Additional Information
- Little is known about the life cycle or natural history of the lesser devil ray.
- This ray also is called the “Atlantic devil ray.” The term “devil ray” is applied generally to this group of rays (Mobula spp.) because when rolled and projected forward, the cephalic lobes have the appearance of horns.
- Often jumps clear of the sea surface.
- Does occur as by-catch in gillnet and long-line fisheries.
Sources
- www.fishbase.org
- www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/AtlanticDevilRay
- www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/161737/0
- Reef Sharks and Rays of World. Michael, S. W.
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