Endangered rays may have secret nursery in Mexican waters
DECEMBER 23, 2019
by Duke University
The discovery of dozens of pregnant giant devil rays entangled in fishing nets along Mexico's Gulf of California could mean the endangered species has a previously unknown birthing zone in nearby waters.
That's the conclusion of a study led by Leo Chan Gaskins, a doctoral student in marine science and conservation at the Duke University Marine Lab.
"These animals reach sexual maturity very slowly and they have only one pup per litter, so losing even a small number of pregnant females to by-catch can have dire effects on a local population's birth potential and long-term survival," Gaskins said.
"We still know very little about their global population size, annual movement patterns and reproductive zones, so the discovery and protection of a previously unknown pupping ground would be good news for conservation," Gaskins said.
More:
https://phys.org/news/2019-12-endangered-rays-secret-nursery-mexican.html
