10/3/2023 0 Comments Giant flat fish![]() This distribution coincides with appearance of large quantities of sardines and anchovies. The earliest seasonal observations of the giant devil ray in the Adriatic are from the area of open waters in the central Adriatic in April and May while the majority of opportunistic sightings, however, are made in the areas closer to the coast late in the spring and throughout the summer. The giant devil ray is generally considered to be a plankton feeder, feeding on pelagic crustaceans and small schooling fish. Analysis of the data indicated the existence of a temporal pattern of occurrence. Until research and surveys were carried out by the Blue World Institute, the presence of the giant devil ray in the Adriatic was relatively unknown and the species was considered as extremely rare. The giant devil ray is listed as Endangered (EN A4d) on the IUCN Red list. At this time, young fish can have a DW of over a meter! Throughout its range, the giant devil ray is believed to live in low numbers although population estimates are unavailable. After more than a year and a half, a young fish is “born”. Giant devil rays are ovoviviparous, meaning that only one large egg is developed inside body of the female. It mostly inhabits deep pelagic waters where it feeds on plankton, predominantly krill and small schooling fish. Information on the biology of the giant devil ray is scarce. ![]() Due to its geographic distribution and rare records outside the Mediterranean, it is considered as an endemic elasmobranch in the region. ![]() This large epipelagic batoid fish inhabits the entire Mediterranean Sea and possibly the adjacent Atlantic waters. The giant devil ray ( Mobula mobular) is a large marine vertebrate and can reach up to 5.2 m in disc width (DW), although specimens of about 3 m DW are most common.
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