The geographic distribution of reef and oceanic manta rays ( Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris ) in Australian coastal waters

Autor: Michael B. Bennett, Christine L. Dudgeon, Amelia J. Armstrong, Asia O. Armstrong, Adam Barnett, Frazer McGregor, Anthony J. Richardson, Kátya G. Abrantes, Kathy A. Townsend
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Fish Biology. 96:835-840
ISSN: 1095-8649
0022-1112
DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14256
Popis: The known distribution of manta rays in Australian waters is patchy, with records primarily centred around tourism hotspots. We collated 11,614 records of Mobula alfredi from photo-ID databases (n = 10,715), aerial surveys (n = 378) and online reports (n = 521). The study confirms an uninterrupted coastal distribution from north of 26 degrees S and 31 degrees S on the west and east coasts, respectively. More southerly M. alfredi records relate to warm-water events with a southernmost extent at 34 degrees S. Coastal sightings of Mobula birostris were rare (n = 32), likely reflecting a preference for offshore waters, but encompass a wider latitudinal extent than M. alfredi of 10-40 degrees S.
Databáze: OpenAIRE