The elusive spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular): a multimethod approach to track its presence in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea.

Abstract

Along the coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea, certain pelagic elasmobranchs seasonally occur, such as the endangered spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular). Given its current conservation status, these occurrences hold significant scientific interest. Therefore, this study examined spinetail devil ray occurrences in a data-deficient region of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, exclusively using opportunistic records from citizen science and cetacean sighting boat surveys. A total of 101 occurrences, involving 141 individuals, were reported since 2020, with 2024 documenting the most (n = 83) and summer being the most prominent season overall (n = 89). Scientifically relevant behaviours, including feeding, breaching, courtship and parturition, were identified from these occasional occurrences. These findings suggest that this north-western Mediterranean Sea region may be important for the spinetail devil ray. Moreover, they highlight the necessity of adopting a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, particularly integrating citizen science, into further research on this species along the Spanish coast.