Lesser devil ray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lesser devil ray
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Myliobatiformes
Family:	Mobulidae
Genus:	Mobula
Species:	M. hypostoma
Binomial name
Mobula hypostoma (Bancroft, 1831)
Range of Mobula hypostoma, not including M. rochebrunei
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Synonyms
Cephalopterus hypostomus Cephaloptera massenoidea Cephaloptera olfersii Ceratobatis robertsi Ceratobatic robertsii Mobula olfersii Mobula reobertsi Mobula rochebrunei?

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The lesser devil ray (scientific name: Mobula hypostoma) is a type of devil ray. It belongs to a family of rays called Mobulidae. These amazing ocean creatures are known for their unique look and how they swim.

Where They Live

Lesser devil rays love shallow, warm ocean waters. They often swim together in groups. Sometimes you might see a small group of 2 to 10 rays. But they can also gather in larger groups of up to 40!

You can find them along the western Atlantic coast. This stretches from North Carolina in the United States all the way down to northern Argentina in South America.

What They Eat

These rays mostly eat tiny ocean creatures called zooplankton. Think of them as very small shrimp or other little animals floating in the water. Lesser devil rays use their special "horns" near their mouth to help funnel this food inside. Sometimes, they might even eat small schooling fish.

What They Look Like

Lesser devil rays are not very big. The widest they usually get is about 125 cm (49 in) across. That's about the length of a small person!

They have two "horns" that stick out in front of their head. These are called cephalic horns. Their long tails are also special because they don't have a spine. This helps tell them apart from some of their relatives, like the giant devil ray.

Their back can be light brown, dark brown, or even black. Some people have even seen blue ones! Sometimes, they have a dark gray band or "collar" between their spiracles. Spiracles are like small openings behind their eyes that help them breathe.