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From: Clinton Duffy
Date: 31-01-08
Time: 21:37
Hi Tony,
Thanks very much for posting this image. The beast in question is a giant manta (Manta birostris), not a devil ray. The very broad head, completely black dorsal fin, faint white "V"-shaped mark in front of the dorsal fin, conspicuous white shoulder blazes and relatively short tail are all diagnostic characters.
As a matter of interest how large was the animal? An estimate of disc width (wing tip-to-wing tip) would be useful.
As yet only one devil ray species has been reported fom NZ waters - the Japanese devil ray (Mobula japanica). This has pale shoulder blazes as a small juvenile but these fade in adults. When seen alive these have a distinct purple-blue sheen on the back (tuna spotter pilots call them "blue mantas"). They also have a white tip to the dorsal fin. Average in New Zealand is about 1.8-2.0 m disc width but they get up to 3.1 m across (giant mantas have been measured up to 6 m disc width and there are reliable reports of mantas up to 9.0 m across).
All the best Clinton
Last changed: 31-Jan-2008