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| Mobula tarapacana | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mobula tarapacana |
| Status | VU |
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Regnum | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Classis | Chondrichthyes |
| Ordo | Myliobatiformes |
| Familia | Mobulidae |
| Genus | Mobula |
| Species | M. tarapacana |
| Binomial | Mobula tarapacana |
| Authority | (D. L. Hubbs & P. H. Schultz, 1953) |
Mobula tarapacana is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae known commonly as a type of devil ray. It is a large, pelagic vertebrate encountered in tropical and temperate waters, notable for its high-altitude diving and occasional association with offshore seamounts and oceanic fronts. The species has been the subject of studies by researchers affiliated with institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Originally described by D. L. Hubbs and P. H. Schultz in 1953, the species has been placed within the genus Mobula following revisions that consolidated several genera in the family Mobulidae after molecular phylogenetic work by teams from University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Natural History Museum, London. Taxonomic treatments reference comparative morphology alongside genetic analyses published in journals associated with Nature, Science, and the Journal of Fish Biology. Nomenclatural decisions have been reviewed by committees connected to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and regional checklists produced by the IUCN and the FAO.
Mobula tarapacana reaches a wingspan up to several meters and displays the flattened, rhomboid pectoral fin morphology characteristic of Myliobatiformes recorded in museum collections at the Smithsonian Institution and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. External features documented in monographs from California Academy of Sciences include a dorsally dark pigment pattern and a lighter ventral surface; dentition and gill raker counts have been cited in taxonomic keys used by the American Fisheries Society and the Royal Society. Morphometric comparisons have been used in field guides published by Cornell Lab of Ornithology collaborators and in species accounts in the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals editorial series.
This species is circumtropical and has confirmed occurrences recorded by observers affiliated with NOAA, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and research cruises run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; occurrences appear in datasets curated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Ocean Biogeographic Information System. Habitats include pelagic open ocean near seamounts such as those studied in the Galápagos Islands, the Azores, and off the coast of South Africa, and seasonal aggregations at oceanic convergence zones documented by expeditions from National Geographic Society and teams from University of Cape Town. Sightings have also been reported in coastal waters adjacent to Brazil, Mexico, Mozambique, and Japan.
Field tagging and telemetry studies led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute have revealed deep-diving behavior to mesopelagic depths; these data have been discussed alongside work from Columbia University and University of Miami on pelagic predators. Associations with cetacean surveys run by Marine Mammal Commission researchers and with seabird studies coordinated through BirdLife International indicate the species can be part of multi-taxa feeding assemblages. Ecological roles as filter-feeders relate to prey such as zooplankton and small schooling fish recorded in stomach content studies published in journals like Marine Biology and ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Reproductive biology has been characterized by low fecundity and binomial litters consistent with other elasmobranchs, with findings cited in syntheses by the International Union for Conservation of Nature species accounts and by researchers at University of Sydney and Monash University. Life-history parameters including age at maturity and growth rates have been estimated using vertebral band counts and modelling approaches discussed in reports from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. Seasonality of reproduction and nursery area identification has been a focus of collaborative projects involving NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and regional fisheries management organizations like the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.
The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable due to widespread bycatch, targeted fisheries, and slow life-history traits; assessments integrate data from IUCN Shark Specialist Group, national agencies such as Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Servicio Nacional de Pesca (Chile), and NGOs including Marine Conservation Institute and Wildlife Conservation Society. Primary threats include entanglement in gillnets and longlines reported by observers on vessels registered to Spain, Taiwan, Ecuador, and Peru and trade demand documented in enforcement cases by CITES-related investigations and regional authorities like INTERPOL and the Convention on Migratory Species.
Interactions with fisheries are documented through observer programs run by NOAA and regional bodies such as the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and the European Commission fisheries directorate. Bycatch mitigation and management measures evaluated by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and policy analysts from WWF and The Nature Conservancy include gear modification trials and time-area closures similar to measures implemented for other large pelagic species monitored by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Ecotourism enterprises in regions like the Azores and Baja California have developed codes of conduct drawing on guidance from Reef Environmental Education Foundation and Blue Ventures, while enforcement and compliance challenges are addressed in reports by FAO and regional fisheries management bodies.