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CAAB: 37041004

Species Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792)

Manta Ray, Australian Devilray, Chevron Manta, Devil Ray, Devilfish, Giant Manta, Giant Manta Ray (CAAB name), Munguna, Oceanic Manta, Pacific Manta Ray, Pelagic Manta

 

Introduction

The species was considered a senior synonym of M. alfredi until recently (Marshall et al. (2009). Consequently some earlier records of M birostris were probably based on M. alfredi. The species was transferred from the genus Manta to Mobula by White et al. (2018).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Western Australia


Extra Distribution Information

Off Exmouth, WA and northern NSW, other records need confirmation because of confusion with Manta alfredi; tropical, temperate, circumglobal.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IMCRA

Cocos (Keeling) Island Province (22), Christmas Island Province (23), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39)

Ecological Descriptors

Continental shelf, marine, pelagic.

Extra Ecological Information

Offshore, often around oceanic islands, sometimes coastal

 

General References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. [48] (in part)

Allen, G.R., Cross, N.J., Douglass F. Hoese & Bray, Dianne, J. 2006. Myliobatidae. pp. 205-209 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [207] (as Manta birostris, in part)

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp. [35]

Compagno, L.J.V. & Last, P.R. 1999. Families Gymnuridae, Myliobatidae, Rhinopteridae, Mobulidae. pp. 1505-1529 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1527] (in part)

Duffy, C.A.J. 2015. Family Myliobatidae. pp. 201-204 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576. [201]

Kashiwagi, T., Marshall, A.D., Bennett, M.B. & Ovenden, J.R. 2011. Habitat segregation and mosaic sympatry of the two species of manta ray in the Indian and Pacific Oceans: Manta alfredi and M. birostris. Marine Biodiversity Records 4: e53 (8 pages)

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls. [459] (in part)

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. [479] (in part)

Marshall, A.D, Compagno, L.J.V. & Bennett, M.B. 2009. Redescription of the genus Manta with resurrection of Manta alfredi (Krefft, 1868) (Chondrichthyes; Myliobatoidei; Mobulidae). Zootaxa 2301: 1-28 [1]

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [19] (139, in part)

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [51] (as Manta alfredi, in part)

Stevens, G., Fermando, D., Dando, M. & Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, G. 2018. Guide to the Manta and Devil Rays of the World. Princetone, New Jersey : Princeton University Press 144 pp.

White, W.T. & Last, P.R. 2016. Families Myliobatidae, Aetobatidae. pp. 706-731 in Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W. & Naylor, G.J.P. (eds.). Rays of the World. Clayton South, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 790 pp. [743]

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [34] (163, in part)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
05-Jun-2024 MYLIOBATIFORMES 23-Jun-2022 MODIFIED Dr Doug Hoese Dr Matthew Lockett
05-Jun-2024 MOBULIDAE 07-Aug-2014 MODIFIED Dr Doug Hoese
16-Apr-2012 22-Nov-2013 MODIFIED
17-Mar-2010 26-Mar-2010 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)