Newly Discovered Giant Manta Ray Species Can Grow As Big As A Van
They say that our oceans hold more secrets than outer space, more unexplored depths and yet-to-be discovered creatures. This is proven every year when new sea animals are found and announced to the world, and this year, a rather sizeable new addition has recently been confirmed. Let's take a look at this stunning new creature and how researchers found it.
Meet Mobula Yarae
The animal itself is the Mobula Yarae, or the Atlantic manta ray. It's a ray that lives in the western portion of the Atlantic Ocean, largely around the eastern United States down to Brazil.
Prior to this discovery, there were only two other manta ray species we knew of, the Mobula alfredi, or the reef manta ray, and the Mobula birostris, or the giant oceanic manta ray. Like its other manta siblings, the Atlantic manta ray gets big.
Large And In Charge
The reef manta ray has a max size of 5.5 meters wide, but averages around 3-3.5 meters. The giant oceanic manta ray is typically around 4.5 meters wide, but they can get up to 9 meters. The Atlantic manta ray? They reach 6 meters wide at least.
The name Mobula yarae is a reference to Yara, a water spirit from Indigenous Brazilian mythology. The species was identified by conservation biologist Andrea Marshall and her team at the Marine Megafauna Foundation, a non-profit that Marshall co-founded.
A Decade In The Making
Though it was just announced, this species isn't exactly 'new.' As detailed in a study published to Environmental Biology of Fishes, Marshall first noticed this species about 15 years ago on the eastern coast of Mexico. What was just made official was the ray's exact classification, and the fact that it isn't either of the prior two manta ray species.
The past 15 years have been dedicated to the further research of this species and its unique traits, what separates it from the reef and giant oceanic variants. Though that sounds like a long time, it's actually about average for the identification and registration of new species. It's a lengthy proccess!
The Fine Details
Alongside the examination of their unique traits, Marshall and her team were able to do some very detailed examinations once they found a deceased juvenile female washed up on a Florida shore in 2017. They also did some DNA testing which suggested that not only is this ray a different species, but they evolved from the giant oceanic manta ray relatively recently.
So, what actually makes the Atlantic manta ray different? They share a lot of traits with both other species of manta ray, but their distinctive features include a more pronounced V-shaped marks on its shoulders, lighter face coloration, and dark marks solely on heir abdomen rather than their entire underside.
The world is so full of yet-to-be-discovered species, phenomenon, and wonder, it's incredible how many new things we find every year! With each new discovery, our knowledge of the world and its inhabitants deepen, making the way for even more discoveries in the future.
The Atlantic manta ray is just one of the stunning finds that dedicated researchers have made this year. We now know about one more creature we get to share the world with, and that's worth celebrating!