Munk's Pygmy Devil Ray

At a glance

Munk's Pygmy Devil Ray (Mobula munkiana) is an IUCN Vulnerable shark or ray.

Listed under CITES — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.

Notable details

• Its disc width reaches about 1.1 meters (3.6 feet), making it one of the smallest devil rays.
• It leaps fully out of the water in synchronized jumps — groups of thousands have been recorded.
• A filter feeder, it strains zooplankton and small crustaceans through specialized gill plates.
• Found primarily in the tropical Eastern Pacific, with the Gulf of California as a core hotspot.
• Like all mobulids, it gives birth to a single live pup rather than laying eggs.

Protected status

• CITES Appendix II (Mobulidae — all manta & devil rays, CoP16/17).

Always verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.

Background

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 and M. mobular. Although they are the smallest of the species in genus Mobula, they make up for their size with their incredible speed and agility.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Munk's Pygmy Devil Ray article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.