Spinetail mobula

Spinetail mobula Facts

• This majestic denizen of the marine waters of the world remains best known by the common name of the Spinetail mobula. Yet the fish has several other titles it’s known by, too. They include such intriguing monikers as the Japanese mobula ray and the spinetail devil ray.
• Inside of the scientific community, however, it’s generally somewhat better known by its purely technical title. Thankfully, that’s currently a relatively simple term for the layperson to pronounce. That’s because the amazing species holds the official name of Mobula japanica.
• It received that title due to the combined efforts of two German researchers. Johannes Peter Müller and Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle recorded the first recognition of it as a separate and distinct species. They accomplished this scientifically noteworthy feat in the year 1841.
• Fortunately, the impressive Spinetail mobula possesses a population base that’s both stable and sufficient. That pleasant situation seems to also hold true throughout the entirety of its range. The IUCN thus currently lists it as Least Concern on its Red List of Threatened Species.
• The remarkable animal nevertheless faces several potential threats to its continued existence as a species, at least. Like many creatures, most of these stem from the actions of mankind. They include accidental bycatch, habitat degradation, and the effects of climate change.

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Spinetail mobula Physical Description

The intriguing Spinetail mobula represents one of those creations of Nature that garner appreciation from those who encounter it for a variety of reasons. That’s true since this remarkable fish possesses impressive attributes pertaining to not only its beauty, but its sheer physical dimensions, too.

The srtunning ray also distinguishes itself from many other creatures around the world in a very specific way. That’s because, unlike many of earth’s species, this animal displays no noticeable amount of the physiological trait of sexual dimorphism in terms of either size of appearance.

Individuals of both the sexes therefore present the same general outward phsyical characteristics. Both genders attain an average disk width equaling approximately 7.6 ft (2.3 m). Exceptional specimens do sometimes occur, however. The disks of these may reach up to 10 ft (3.1 m) wide.

Like most of its kindred around the world, the animal has a highly flattened body shape. It also has relatively large pectoral fins extending from either side of the disk. It further displays a second pair of smaller fins at the front of the body. These are actually an extension of the other fins.

The fascinating Spinetail mobula also displays a truly captivating pattern of coloring. The upperside of the animal’s body shows a deep bluish mauve shade. A single large black band extends from eye to eye. The underside, though, shows white. The smaller fins display slivery gray with black tips.

This wonder also varies in appearance from other large rays in several other ways. It displays a white-tipped dorsal fin, as well as an obvious spine, placed between the base of the dorsal fin and the start of the tail. That tail itself also typically reaches a greater length than in most rays.

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Chondrichthyes
• Order: Myliobatiformes
• Family: Mobulidae
• Genus: Mobula
• Species: M. japonica

Spinetail mobula Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology

The beautiful Spinetail mobula evolved as native to a comparatively large expanse of the marine regions of the surface of the earth. While the full extent of that zone of habitation might not surprise many of you, the precise location of its endemic territory just might do so for some.

That’s due to the fact that this marvel of Nature and evolution developed as native to most of the tropical and sub-tropical waters of eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It’s also present in such connected regions as the Gulf of California, in Mexico, in North America.

This impressive natural wonder also evolved as extremely flexible in its choice of habitat. This results in it being found in an extraordinarily wide range of locations within its greater overall range. The only basic underlying requirements appear to be water temperature and salinity.

The fascinating variety of fish most typically lives in regions quite close to shore, almost to the shoreline, for one. Yet it also appears significantly further out to sea, in the vastly deeper areas. There, it’s spotted equally as often at great depths and at or near the surface of the ocean.

The Spinetail mobula further displays flexibility in its social habits. Most specimens choose to live both as a solitary individual and in groups of varying sizes. Researchers still know extremely little about its mating habits. It’s an ovoviviparous species, though, giving birth to live young.

It’s feeds as a filter feeder, with its principal food consisting of quantities of zooplankton. These it consumes via a filtering process. Its predators remain undetermined, but likely include such animals as larger sharks and Orcas. It’s lifepan is also unknown, but thought to be around 15 years.

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