Abstract

The Atlantic pygmy devil ray, Mobula hypostoma, is currently listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List based on reduced observations in the southern part of its range. Although increased sightings have been reported on the southeast coast of the U.S. over the last twenty years, most of the species’ biology and ecology remains unknown. Since 2013, Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program (SRCRP) has been opportunistically collecting data on M. hypostoma off of Sarasota, on the central west coast of Florida. Research effort expanded to the northern Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of Florida starting in 2022. Between 2019 and 2023, eighteen devil rays were internally tagged with Innovasea V13 acoustic transmitters, including juveniles on the central west coast of Florida (N=7), juveniles off the Florida Panhandle (N=7) and adults on the central east coast of Florida (N=4). Preliminary data provided through iTAG and FACT collaborative networks yielded 1142 detections from eight rays across 50 receivers. Two immature rays displayed seasonal migrations between the central west coast of Florida (summer/fall) and the Florida Panhandle (fall/winter). The longest documented return migration was of a juvenile male which traveled a minimum of 1113 km in 710 days. Future research efforts include additional collaborative tagging of M. hypostoma in the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the U.S. to examine the consistency in observed movements. Passive acoustic telemetry data together with citizen observations and fisheries-dependent data, will also be used to build an ecological niche model for the species in the Western Central Atlantic region. This study hopes to fill critical knowledge gaps in the species’ ecology to inform management and conservation strategies.