Mobula mobular
CR

Mobula mobular

DecliningENEUENEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_fish

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The giant devil ray faces severe population declines primarily due to targeted fishing for its gill plates, which are highly valued in traditional Asian medicine markets. Bycatch in Mediterranean fisheries, particularly purse seine and gillnet operations, compounds mortality rates. Climate change is altering prey distribution patterns, forcing these rays into areas with higher fishing pressure as they follow their planktonic food sources.

Threat summary

Habitat

Giant devil rays inhabit warm temperate and tropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean, typically found in pelagic environments from surface waters to depths of 700 meters. They prefer areas with high planktonic productivity, often aggregating near seamounts, upwelling zones, and continental shelf edges where their primary prey of small schooling fish and zooplankton concentrate.

Marine oceanic· majorMarine coastal/supratidal· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in MOBULIDAE

Mobula kuhliiEN

Mobula kuhlii

Declining
VU

Mobula munkiana

Declining
VU

Reef Manta Ray

Mobula alfredi

Declining
EN

Oceanic Manta Ray

Mobula birostris

Declining

Threatened in Algeria

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
CR

Sahara Killifish

Apricaphanius saourensis

Declining
Blind SnailVU

Blind Snail

Cecilioides acicula

Unknown
EN

Chafarinas' Skink

Chalcides parallelus

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Mobula mobular classified as Critically Endangered?
Mobula mobular is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The giant devil ray faces severe population declines primarily due to targeted fishing for its gill plates, which are highly valued in traditional Asian medicine markets. Bycatch in Mediterranean fisheries, particularly purse seine and gillnet operations, compounds mortality rates. Climate change is altering prey distribution patterns, forcing these rays into areas with higher fishing pressure as they follow their planktonic food sources.
Where does Mobula mobular live?
Mobula mobular occurs in Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, and Chile (plus 44 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Mobula mobular?
The main threats to Mobula mobular are 11.1, 5.3, 6.1, and 9.3.4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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