Mobula Ray (Mobula mobular)

There are moments when the sea itself seems to lift and scatter into the air — hundreds of mobula rays breaching in rhythm, vanishing back into blue. For a heartbeat, it feels as if the ocean has taken flight.

Scientific Snapshot

A school of mobula rays breaching above open water — a fleeting portrait of motion and freedom in the pelagic sea.

Scientific Name: Mobula mobular

Common Names: Spinetail mobula, giant devil ray

Average Size: Up to 5.2 m (17 ft) across; weighs up to 1 ton

Habitat: Open ocean and coastal upwelling zones in warm temperate to tropical waters

Diet: Filter feeder — zooplankton, krill, small fish larvae

Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List)

Range: Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean; seasonally migratory through Pacific upwelling corridors and pelagic aggregations

From the Field

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