A first record of the Bentfin Devil Ray Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908) (Myliobatiformes: Mobulidae) from the Indian EEZ of the Andaman Sea

Abstract

This manuscript deals with the Bent-fin Devil Ray Mobula thurstoni for its first time occurrence in the Andaman & Nicobar waters around the Indian EEZ which is a new locality record confirming the range extension of the species to the southeast of Bay of Bengal (the Andaman Sea). A female specimen of 318mm disc length and weighing 2.47Kg was caught by a multiday bottom trawler operated off North Bay and was landed at Junglighat fishing harbour, South Andaman. A detailed diagnostic description and morphometric measurements of M. thurstoni is provided. For the first time this species has been described from Indian waters and compared with the other related species, and so documenting its first occurrence in the Andaman & Nicobar waters.

Keywords

• devil ray
• mobulidae
• myliobatoidae
• range extension.