Table 1 Diagnosis traits comparison chart (modified from Hinojosa et al., 2016) between the sighted individual, M. birostris, M. alfredi, and the putative additional species off Yucatán (Hinojosa et al., 2016). Present: 1; absent: 0
From: Southernmost record of the Giant Manta Ray Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792) in the Eastern Pacific
Visible diagnosis traits | Sighted Mobula sp | M. birostris | M. alfredi | Yucatán manta ray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mouth color (white:0; black:1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0; 1 |
Black dorsal surface | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1; brown |
Triangular-shaped shoulder patches in supra-branchial region (Unless melanistic form) | melanistic | 1; melanistic | 0 | 1; melanistic |
Dark spots between the five gill slits or pectoral fins | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Calcified mass with an embedded spine on the dorsum of tail immediately posterior to dorsal fin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |