Flying rays seen for the first time in Tubbataha

^{A typical Mobula sp. flying ray, photographed off California. Nick Bonzey / Wikipedia}

The Philippines' Tubbataha Reef, one of the world's greatest marine biodiversity hotspots, recorded this month the first ever sighting at the site of flying rays—cousins of the more well-known manta rays.

 

In a post on its website, the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) said the species sighted may be either Mobula japanica or Mobula thurstoni.

 

"However, the good news is, whether it was the Mobula japonica or the Mobula thurstoni, it still is a first in Tubbataha," it said.

 

Last March 9, TMO announced the first-ever sighting at the reef of Mobula japanica, but quickly backtracked, pending a more thorough analysis of the sighting.

 

"We threw caution to the wind.  Mea culpa!" it said.

 

The TMO also quoted Guy Stevens, Chief Executive and Founder of Manta Trust, as saying that differentiating M. japanica from M. thurstoni is "tricky at the best of times, even with good ID shots."

 

"We will confirm the identification and announce it here later – less precipitately than we did before, surely," the TMO said. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News