Southward range extension and transboundary movements of reef manta rays Mobula alfredi along the east African coastline

Abstract

Opportunistic in‐water and aerial surveys in South Africa and the analysis of contributed citizen science data have extended the known range of reef manta rays Mobula alfredi along the eastern coast of Africa by 140 km (to Mdumbi Beach) and verified the first transboundary movements for the species. Additionally, six new long‐range dispersal records have provided evidence of connectivity with the M. alfredi population off the Inhambane coastline of Mozambique. Five of these records captured one‐way movements, the longest of which was an individual that travelled 505 km from Praia do Tofo to Sodwana Bay with 301 days between sightings. A single individual made a return trip between Závora, Mozambique and Sodwana Bay, South Africa (a total distance of ~870 km). These findings support the Convention on Migratory Species listing for the species, suggesting regional transboundary management units are warranted for this wide‐ranging elasmobranch.

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