PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Mobula (devil ray)

Chondrichthyes - Myliobatiformes - Mobulidae

Taxonomy

Mobula was named by Rafinesque (1810) [Sepkoski's age data: T Ol-l R Sepkoski's reference number: 884]. It is extant. It is the type genus of Mobulidae.

It was assigned to Myliobatiformes by Sepkoski (2002); to Mobulinae by Cicimurri et al. (2022); and to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963), Cappetta (1987), Purdy et al. (2001), Adnet et al. (2012), Carillo-Briceño et al. (2014), Reinecke and Radwanski (2015), Carrillo-Briceño et al. (2016), Kent (2018), Maisch IV et al. (2025).

Species

Manta unios, M. auriculata, M. birostris, M. hynei, M. hypostomus, M. loupianensis, M. melanyae, M. pectinata, Paramobula fragilis (syn. M. cappettai)

Species lacking formal opinion data

M. hypostoma, M. hypostoma, M. lorenzoizanoi, M. munkiana, M. tarapacana, M. thurstoni

Synonyms

Ceratoptera is a genus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Manta by Hay (1902); it was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by White et al. (2018).

It was assigned to Ceratopterina by Jaekel (1894); and to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963).
Apterurus was named by Rafinesque (1810).

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by Cappetta (1987).

It was assigned to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963).
Cephalopterus was named by Riso (1810).

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by Cappetta (1987).

It was assigned to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963).
Dicerobatus was named by Blainville (1816).

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by Cappetta (1987).

It was assigned to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963).
Pterocephalus was named by Swainson (1838).

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by Cappetta (1987).

It was assigned to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963).
Ceratobatis was named by Boulenger (1897).

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by Cappetta (1987).

It was assigned to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963).
Paramobula was named by Pfeil (1981).

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by Adnet et al. (2012).

It was assigned to Mobulinae by Cicimurri and Knight (2009); and to Mobulidae by Cicimurri et al. (2025).
Manta was named by Bancroft (1829) [Sepkoski's age data: T Mi-l R Sepkoski's reference number: 884]. It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Mobula by White et al. (2018).

It was assigned to Mantidae by Hay (1902); to Mobulidae by Jordan (1963), Purdy et al. (2001); and to Myliobatiformes by Sepkoski (2002).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1810	Apterurus Rafinesque
1810	Mobula Rafinesque
1810	Cephalopterus Riso
1816	Dicerobatus Blainville
1829	Manta Bancroft
1838	Pterocephalus Swainson
1894	Ceratoptera Jaekel p. 63
1897	Ceratobatis Boulenger
1902	Manta Hay p. 321
1963	Apterurus Jordan p. 605
1963	Cephalopterus Jordan p. 605
1963	Ceratobatis Jordan p. 605
1963	Ceratoptera Jordan p. 605
1963	Dicerobatus Jordan p. 605
1963	Manta Jordan p. 605
1963	Mobula Jordan p. 605
1963	Pterocephala Jordan p. 605
1981	Paramobula Pfeil
1987	Mobula Cappetta p. 177
2001	Manta Purdy et al. p. 96
2001	Mobula Purdy et al. p. 96
2002	Manta Sepkoski
2002	Mobula Sepkoski
2009	Paramobula Cicimurri and Knight p. 640
2012	Mobula Adnet et al.
2014	Mobula Carillo-Briceño et al. p. 86
2015	Mobula Reinecke and Radwanski p. 16
2016	Mobula Carrillo-Briceño et al. p. 88
2018	Mobula Kent p. 133
2022	Mobula Cicimurri et al.
2025	Paramobula Cicimurri et al. p. 71
2025	Mobula Maisch IV et al. p. 47

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	Chondrichthyes

Rank	Name	Author
infraclass	Elasmobranchii	(Bonaparte 1838)
—	Euselachii	()
—	Neoselachii	Compagno 1977
superorder	Batomorphii
order	Myliobatiformes	Compagno 1973
suborder	Myliobatoidei	Compagno 1973
family	Mobulidae	Gill 1893
genus	Mobula	Rafinesque 1810

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Mobula Rafinesque 1810 [devil ray]

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Mobula auriculata Rafinesque 1810 [giant devil ray]

Mobula birostris Walbaum 1792

†Mobula hynei Bourdon 1999

Mobula hypostomus Bancroft 1831

†Mobula loupianensis Cappetta 1970

†Mobula melanyae Case 1980

†Mobula pectinata Capetta 1970

Invalid names: Apterurus Rafinesque 1810 [synonym], Cephalopterus Riso 1810 [synonym], Ceratobatis Boulenger 1897 [synonym], Ceratoptera [synonym], Dicerobatus Blainville 1816 [synonym], Manta Bancroft 1829 [synonym], Paramobula Pfeil 1981 [synonym], Pterocephalus Swainson 1838 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

marinesubp

Locomotion:

actively mobileg

Life habit:

nektonicg

Diet:

suspension feederg

Diet 2:

carnivoreg

Created:

2009-07-21 07:16:51

Modified:

2014-09-15 11:55:58

Source: g = genus, subp = subphylum

References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Lutetian to the top of the Early/Lower Pliocene or 48.07000 to 3.60000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 41.03 Ma

Collections (38 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	Togo	Mobula sp. (32991)
Rupelian	33.9 - 27.3	USA (South Carolina)	Mobula sp. (60444 224900)
Chattian	27.3 - 23.04	USA (South Carolina)	Mobula loupianensis, Paramobula fragilis (97550)
Chattian	27.3 - 23.04	Germany (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)	Mobula sp. (80366)
Chattian	27.3 - 23.04	USA (Mississippi)	Paramobula fragilis (133111)
Aquitanian	23.04 - 20.45	Colombia (La Guajira)	Mobula sp. (182218)
Early/Lower Miocene	23.04 - 15.98	India (Orissa)	Narcine sp. (42842)
Early/Lower Miocene	23.04 - 15.98	USA (North Carolina)	Manta melanyae (71660)
Early/Lower Miocene	23.04 - 15.98	Venezuela (Paraguana)	Mobula sp. (118106)
Aquitanian - Langhian	23.04 - 13.82	USA (North Carolina)	Mobula sp. (48887)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	Pakistan (Balochistan)	Mobula sp. (77783)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	Venezuela (Falcón)	Mobula loupianensis, Mobula fragilis (228725) Mobula sp. (276389)
Burdigalian - Serravallian	20.45 - 11.63	Portugal	Mobula loupianensis (277552 277556)
Langhian	15.98 - 13.82	Mexico (Baja California)	Mobula sp. (52183)
Langhian	15.98 - 13.82	France	Mobula pectinata (277771)
Middle Miocene	15.98 - 11.63	Japan (Gifu)	Manta sp., Mobula sp. (161445)
Badenian	13.82 - 12.8	Poland	Mobula loupianensis (162017)
Badenian	13.82 - 12.8	Austria	Mobula sp. (276450)
Serravallian	13.82 - 11.63	USA (Virginia)	Mobula sp. (187324) Paramobula fragilis (126605)
Serravallian	13.82 - 11.63	France	Mobula loupianensis (277907)
Serravallian - Tortonian	13.82 - 7.246	Ecuador	Mobula sp. (204346)
Tortonian	11.63 - 7.246	Belgium	Mobula sp. (217346)
Tortonian	11.63 - 7.246	Panama (Colon)	Mobula hypostoma, Mobula munkiana (160567)
Tortonian	11.63 - 7.246	Panama	Mobula munkiana (118105) Mobula munkiana, Mobula hypostoma (96700)
Late/Upper Miocene	11.63 - 5.333	Costa Rica (Limon)	Manta sp., Mobula hypostoma, Mobula lorenzoizanoi (162678)
Late/Upper Miocene	11.63 - 5.333	Panama (Panama)	Mobula spp. (191988 191989) Mobula thurstoni, Mobula tarapacana, Mobula spp. (191987 191998)
Late/Upper Miocene - Early/Lower Pliocene	11.63 - 3.6	USA (Florida)	Mobula hypostoma, Mobula birostris (276265)
Tortonian - Zanclean	11.63 - 3.6	Ecuador	Mobula sp. (204352)
Messinian	7.246 - 5.333	Portugal (Alvalade)	Mobula sp. (65955)
Zanclean	5.333 - 3.6	USA (North Carolina)	Manta sp., Mobula sp. (52582)