Devil Fish

Fascinating facts about the Devil Fish

• At a disc length of up to 3.5 m (11 ft), the devil fish ranks among the largest rays, only smaller than the oceanic and reef manta rays, highlighting how size alone does not guarantee safety from fishing nets.
• Tagging studies showed individual rays diving to 600–700 m (2,000–2,300 ft) but spending most of the day within the top 50 m, a pattern that defies the regular deep-dive schedules seen in other species and suggests a flexible foraging strategy.
• A single pup measured 1.03 m (3 ft 5 in) across when born at the Osaka Aquarium, underscoring the species' low reproductive output and why each loss to bycatch has a lasting impact on the population.
• Observations recorded groups of up to 18 rays, with the biggest aggregations found in the Levantine basin, hinting that this area may serve as a crucial mating hotspot for the Mediterranean-only mobulid.
• Projected to lose at least half of its numbers over the next 60 years, the devil fish’s decline illustrates how a slow-reproducing, range-restricted species can slide toward extinction even without targeted hunting.

At a glance

About the Devil Fish

Gliding through the sun-lit waters of the Mediterranean, the devil fish (Mobula mobular) commands attention with a disk that can span up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) and a singular, spiny tail that sets it apart from its close relatives. Its massive, wing-like pectoral fins sweep through the water with the grace of a manta, while the cephalic flaps, rolled up like devilish horns, frame a gaping mouth that filters planktonic krill and tiny mesopelagic and clupeid fishes. Occasionally, a lone individual will join a loose congregation of up to 18, forming a shimmering cloud that drifts over the warm, productive waters of the eastern Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea, regions that appear to serve as a seasonal mating ground. Though an epipelagic wanderer, the devil fish can plunge to depths of 600–700 m (2,000–2,300 ft) at random, a behavior unlike the timed deep dives of other rays. Tagging studies by Italy’s National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research reveal that it spends most of its day near the surface, between 0 and 50 m, preferring temperatures of 20–29 °C (68–84 °F). With a lifespan of roughly 20 years and a reproductive strategy that yields a single, fully developed pup, about 1.03 m wide at birth, the species grows slowly, making every encounter a rare glimpse of a creature that balances immense size with delicate vulnerability.

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