Journal
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80506-8
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Funding
- Monterey Bay Aquarium, University of California Santa Cruz
- Instituto Politecnico Nacional [SIP-IPN 20180012, SIP-IPN 20190272, SIP-IPN 20196736]
- Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP) Islas del Golfo/Parque Nacional Zona Marina del Archipielago Espiritu Santo
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia
- BEIFI
- IDEA WILD
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This study reveals the existence of a nursery area for Munk's pygmy devil rays at Espiritu Santo Archipelago, Mexico, where neonates and juveniles spend a significant amount of time inside a shallow bay, potentially indicating a pupping period from April to June.
Munk's pygmy devil rays (Mobula munkiana) are medium-size, zooplanktivorous filter feeding, elasmobranchs characterized by aggregative behavior, low fecundity and delayed reproduction. These traits make them susceptible to targeted and by-catch fisheries and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Multiple studies have examined fisheries impacts, but nursery areas or foraging neonate and juvenile concentrations have not been examined. This study describes the first nursery area for M. munkiana at Espiritu Santo Archipelago, Mexico. We examined spatial use of a shallow bay during 22 consecutive months in relation to environmental patterns using traditional tagging (n=95) and acoustic telemetry (n=7). Neonates and juveniles comprised 84% of tagged individuals and their residency index was significantly greater inside than outside the bay; spending a maximum of 145 consecutive days within the bay. Observations of near-term pregnant females, mating behavior, and neonates indicate an April to June pupping period. Anecdotal photograph review indicated that the nursery area is used by neonates and juveniles across years. These findings confirm, for the first time, the existence of nursery areas for Munk's pygmy devil rays and the potential importance of shallow bays during early life stages for the conservation of this species.
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