First description of foetus of giant manta ray foetus Mobula birostris (Walbaum 1792) from Kochi, Kerala, Southwest India (North East Arabian Sea)

Abstract

Giant Manta Ray is assessed as Vulnerable by IUCN and has a very low reproductive capacity. India is also one of the major manta fishing countries; however, commerce in gill plates is not well documented. With information of these gentle giants scanty in literature, record of morphological and morphometric data pertaining to Mobula foetus from this region is very important. The disc length (DL) of the foetus recorded in Kochi was only 30 mm and the foetus already had pigmentation patterns in the ventral portion of the cephalic horn and displayed the presence of an umbilical attachment. The presence of the gravid female is not a solitary event and there are many such cases which may have gone unnoticed. Together with our recent findings, and previous records, this data reinforces the importance of the west coast as potential reproduction grounds for M. birostris. This information is crucial for the establishment and progression of conservation measures for this migratory species.