First confirmed record of the occurrence of the lesser devil ray, Mobula hypostoma (Elasmobranchii, Mobulidae), in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Nine specimens (one female and eight males, all juveniles) of lesser devil ray, Mobula hypostoma (Bancroft, 1831), were caught in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. These specimens represent the first record of the species in the Mexican waters. The disk width ranged between 552 and 773 mm. Morphometrics data are consistent with previously published records. Because of the number of specimens captured, we suggest that it is not a rare species in the southwest Gulf of Mexico.