Catalog of Fishes
literature references
FishBase
NCBI GenBank
Mobula yarae
Bucair & Marshall, 2025
Classification: Elasmobranchii Myliobatiformes Mobulidae
Reference of the original description
An integrative taxonomy investigation unravels a cryptic species of Mobula Rafinesque, 1810 (Mobulidae, Myliobatiformes), from the Atlantic Ocean. Environmental Biology of Fishes, in press
An integrative taxonomy investigation unravels a cryptic species of Mobula Rafinesque, 1810 (Mobulidae, Myliobatiformes), from the Atlantic Ocean. Environmental Biology of Fishes, in press
Description :
Citation: Mobula yarae Bucair & Marshall, 2025: In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 12/2025
Short Description
Original diagnosis of Bucair & Marshall, 2025 [34799]: Mobula yarae sp. nov. is a large-sized mobulid, with terminal mouth and tooth band only in the lower jaw, like the closest congeners—M. alfredi and M. birostris (vs. M. eregoodoo, M. hypostoma, M. kuhlii, M. mobular, M. munkiana, M. tarapacana, and M. thurstoni, with subterminal mouth), and is characterised by the following combination of characters: small cusped teeth in 9–13 transversal rows in the tooth band (vs. 12–16 rows in M. birostris and 6–8 rows in M. alfredi); filter lobes positioned anterior to branchial filaments, laterally fused and with transverse projected bristles; disc width 2.2 times larger than disc length; ellipsoidal calcified mass posterior to the dorsal fin with a longitudinal length of 4.3% of DL (vs. 6% DL in M. birostris), with an embedded residual serriform caudal spine in the posterior portion facing upwards (vs. facing backwards in M. birostris); stellate-shaped dermal denticles, ramifications with non-bifurcated tips, arranged in raised ridges longitudinally aligned in dorsal and ventral body surfaces (vs. cross-shaped dermal denticles with bifid cusps arranged randomly in M. birostris and stellate base denticles with the tips of the star base bifurcated and arranged uniformly in M. alfredi); and dorsal surface predominantly black, with symmetrical white supra-branchial patches diagonally aligned.
Original diagnosis of Bucair & Marshall, 2025 [34799]: Mobula yarae sp. nov. is a large-sized mobulid, with terminal mouth and tooth band only in the lower jaw, like the closest congeners—M. alfredi and M. birostris (vs. M. eregoodoo, M. hypostoma, M. kuhlii, M. mobular, M. munkiana, M. tarapacana, and M. thurstoni, with subterminal mouth), and is characterised by the following combination of characters: small cusped teeth in 9–13 transversal rows in the tooth band (vs. 12–16 rows in M. birostris and 6–8 rows in M. alfredi); filter lobes positioned anterior to branchial filaments, laterally fused and with transverse projected bristles; disc width 2.2 times larger than disc length; ellipsoidal calcified mass posterior to the dorsal fin with a longitudinal length of 4.3% of DL (vs. 6% DL in M. birostris), with an embedded residual serriform caudal spine in the posterior portion facing upwards (vs. facing backwards in M. birostris); stellate-shaped dermal denticles, ramifications with non-bifurcated tips, arranged in raised ridges longitudinally aligned in dorsal and ventral body surfaces (vs. cross-shaped dermal denticles with bifid cusps arranged randomly in M. birostris and stellate base denticles with the tips of the star base bifurcated and arranged uniformly in M. alfredi); and dorsal surface predominantly black, with symmetrical white supra-branchial patches diagonally aligned.
Distribution
northeastern USA to southeastern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean islands, the Amazon continental shelf and estuaries, and the oceanic systems of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and Fernando de Noronha archipelagos [34799]
northeastern USA to southeastern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean islands, the Amazon continental shelf and estuaries, and the oceanic systems of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and Fernando de Noronha archipelagos [34799]
Dentition
Like in other Mobula species, the teeth in Mobula yarae sp. nov. are arranged in narrow bands alongside the edge of the jaw, composed of a variable number of rows (9–13) and files (170–230). The total count of cusped teeth varies from 1680–2811. The upper jaw lacks tooth bands. It is important to note that the number of tooth rows has been considered a taxonomic character (e.g. Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). Although the overall tooth feature is changeless, the total number of teeth and files increases with the individual’s growth. [34799]
Like in other Mobula species, the teeth in Mobula yarae sp. nov. are arranged in narrow bands alongside the edge of the jaw, composed of a variable number of rows (9–13) and files (170–230). The total count of cusped teeth varies from 1680–2811. The upper jaw lacks tooth bands. It is important to note that the number of tooth rows has been considered a taxonomic character (e.g. Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). Although the overall tooth feature is changeless, the total number of teeth and files increases with the individual’s growth. [34799]
Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=17670;
shark-references Species-ID=17670;
