Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792)

White, William T. & Ko’Ou, Alfred, 2018, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of Papua New Guinea, Zootaxa 4411 (1), pp. 1-82 : 68

Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792)

Giant Manta

Raja birostris Walbaum, 1792: 535 . No types known. No locality stated in description.

Local synonymy: Manta birostris— Munro, 1967 (in part): 15, pl. 2, fig. 18 (New Guinea); Filewood, 1973 (in part): 14 (PNG). Mobula birostris— White et al., 2018: 286, figs (PNG).

PNG voucher material: None.

Remarks: Most records of manta rays in coastal reef areas are of M. alfredi (see above). Previously placed in the genus Manta , recently found to be a junior synonym of Mobula (White et al., 2017b) . Occasionally recorded from the bycatch of the purse seine fishery.