Munk's Pygmy Devil Ray

About the Munk's Pygmy Devil Ray

Mobula munkiana, commonly known as the manta de monk, Munk's devil ray, pygmy devil ray, smoothtail mobula, or Munk's pygmy devil ray, is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae. They are commonly mistaken for their close relatives, M. thurstoni (bentfin devil ray) and M. mobular (giant devil ray). Although they are the smallest of the species in genus Mobula, they make up for their size with their incredible speed and agility. These characteristics are a likely explanation for their lack of natural predators, although they have been known to be hunted by orcas and are often fished by humans. One of the defining characteristics of this group are their acrobatic performances that are conducted while jumping in the air in schools of thousands. It is thought that these spectacles are a functional part of their lifestyle, including kickstarting mating rituals. The species was first described in 1987 after the Italian ecologist Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara observed one of these acrobatic spectacles and decided to name them after his scientific mentor, Walter Munk.

Part of the elasmobranch division Batomorphi, pygmy devil rays are large fish with horizontally flattened... Wikipedia →