Seasonal aggregation and diel activity by the sicklefin devil ray Mobula tarapacana off a small, equatorial outcrop of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The present study aimed to analyse occurrence patterns, relative abundance and habitat use by the sicklefin devil ray Mobula tarapacana in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA), Brazil, located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Sampling was conducted between December 2008 and December 2012 by surface surveys and tagging with conventional tags and acoustic transmitters. Mobula tarapacana were sighted in the SPSPA year round but the highest frequency of occurrence was observed from January to June, probably due to greater food availability during this season. However, M. tarapacana might also use the area for reproductive purposes based on evidence of mating behaviour. The residency period of tagged rays measured by three autonomous acoustic receivers deployed around SPSPA spanned from 1 to 74 days with most of the detections occurring during daytime. These results suggest that the SPSPA could be an ecologically-important aggregation area for M. tarapacana, possibly providing the species with a feeding or resting habitat while transiting in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean.