The geographic distribution of reef and oceanic manta rays (Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris) in Australian coastal waters

Amelia J Armstrong; Asia O Armstrong; Michael B Bennett; Frazer McGregor; Kátya G Abrantes; Adam Barnett; Anthony J Richardson; Kathy A Townsend; Christine L Dudgeon

doi:10.1111/jfb.14256

The geographic distribution of reef and oceanic manta rays (Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris) in Australian coastal waters

J Fish Biol. 2020 Mar;96(3):835-840. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14256. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Authors

Amelia J Armstrong¹, Asia O Armstrong¹, Michael B Bennett¹, Frazer McGregor², Kátya G Abrantes³, Adam Barnett³, Anthony J Richardson^{4

5}, Kathy A Townsend⁶, Christine L Dudgeon¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
² Coral Bay Research Station, Murdoch University, Coral Bay, Western Australia, Australia.
³ College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics, School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
⁵ CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia.

PMID: 31925780
DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14256

Abstract

The known distribution of manta rays in Australian waters is patchy, with records primarily centred around tourism hotspots. We collated 11,614 records of Mobula alfredi from photo-ID databases (n = 10,715), aerial surveys (n = 378) and online reports (n = 521). The study confirms an uninterrupted coastal distribution from north of 26°S and 31°S on the west and east coasts, respectively. More southerly M. alfredi records relate to warm-water events with a southernmost extent at 34°S. Coastal sightings of Mobula birostris were rare (n = 32), likely reflecting a preference for offshore waters, but encompass a wider latitudinal extent than M. alfredi of 10-40°S.

Keywords: citizen science; connectivity; photo-ID; reef manta ray; species distribution range.

MeSH terms

Animal Distribution*
Animals
Australia
Elasmobranchii / physiology*
Oceans and Seas

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding