Mobula rays in Galapagos and the wider Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) are under increasing threat due to their slow reproduction rates and vulnerability to fishing and tourism. Four species, the spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular), the Chilean devil ray, also known as the box ray, greater Guinean mobula, sicklefin devil ray or the spiny mobula (Mobula tarapacana), the bentfin devil ray, also known as the lesser devil ray, smoothtail devil ray, smoothtail mobula or Thurston’s devil ray (Mobula thurstoni) and the Munk’s devil ray, also know as the pygmy devil ray, smoothtail mobula, or Munk’s pygmy devil ray (Mobula munkiana) are found in the region, but we still know little about their individual needs.
Citizen scientists have played a key role in revealing that the Galapagos Marine Reserve may be a critical, but overlooked, habitat, especially for M. munkiana and M. thurstoni. Yet, management strategies often treat all Mobulas the same, ignoring species-specific threats and behaviours.
This project uses citizen-reported sightings, ocean data, genetics and local knowledge to identify important habitats, track population movements and highlight areas of conflict with human activities. The team are exploring how well-managed and community-led tourism can support both conservation and local economies.
By sharing your photos and/or videos of Mobula rays, the team aim to build smarter and more targeted protections for the different species of rays in Galapagos and across the wider ETP.
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By submitting your photos of Mobula rays to the team, you will be contributing to vital data needed to develop long-term and targeted management plans for all the rays of Galapagos. Every sighting counts!
To make your submission as valuable as possible, please include as much of the information below as you can.
The team has also provided ID guides to help you identify species, which can be found here.
The project team will make sure you receive due credit in any scientific publications that include your report data.
Become an expert at identifying rays by their charismatic and unique features.
