Researchers have announced the discovery of a new manta ray species found extensively in the Atlantic Ocean.
The new species discovery is the work of Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) co-founder Dr. Andrea Marshall, who began her journey with these magical creatures in 2009.
She first stunned the scientific world in 2009 by splitting one manta species into two distinct species, and predicted that a third species existed in the Atlantic Ocean. The new manta ray species is named Mobula yarae after Yara, a water spirit from Indigenous Brazilian mythology.
The new species can be differentiated as follows:
- Shoulder patches: M. yarae features unique white shoulder markings in a “V-shaped” pattern, setting it apart from the “T-shaped” patches seen in M. birostris.
- Face coloration: The area around the mouth and eyes of M. yarae is noticeably lighter, while giant mantas have much darker facial coloring.
- Ventral markings: Dark spots on M. yarae are mainly limited to the abdomen and do not extend between the gills, which contrasts with the pattern found in reef mantas.
- Size: M. yarae can reach lengths of 5-6 meters, similar to giant mantas, yet most sightings have been of smaller, juvenile individuals, often inhabiting coastal waters as reef mantas do.
Commenting on her journey of discovery, Marshal stated:
“In 2009, it was one of the largest species discoveries of the last 50 years. It was huge for me as an early career scientist and such a privilege to go through every step of the process. Did I ever expect to do something like that again? Hell no. Not a chance. So it was one of the shocks of my life to jump into the warm waters off the Yucatán in Mexico about a year later and come face to face with what I instantly knew was a third species of manta ray.”
