Occurrence of Mobula japanica in the western Atlantic Ocean and Mobula tarapacana in Brazil, with comments on the diversity of devilrays (Chondrichthyes: Mobulidae) in Brazil

Abstract

This paper reports the occurrence of the davilrays Mobula japanica, in the western Atlantic, and Mobula tarapacana, in Brazilian waters. The records of those species were based in preserved, collected, and scuba watching specimens from Northeast, Central and Southeast Brazil. The specimens of M. japanica are first positively recorded in the western Atlantic, confirming the world-wide distribution pattern this species, previuosly suggested by some authors. This species is probably a common oceanic-pelagic elasmobranch from the Brazilian coast. M. tarapacana was previously reported for Venezuelan waters and the data herein presented confirm its  ocurrence also in the Brazilian western South Atlantic coast, where it was erroneously identified as M. hypostoma. Additionally, comments are made on the diversity of manta rays in the Brazilian coast, since this area shows the most rich mobulid fauna in the world, with six out of the tem known species.