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Sicklefin devilray and common remora prey jointly on baitfish

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Abstract

Devil rays are considered pelagic filter-feeders but direct observation of their foraging in the wild is very scarce and their feeding ecology is known essentially from indirect methods. On September 2018, a group of 16 sicklefin devil rays were observed preying on bait balls of longspine snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax), together with their associated common remora (Remora remora), at Princess Alice seamount, Azores (mid-north Atlantic). Image analysis of these events and that of another devil ray feeding event on myctophids from the Pacific Ocean allowed the description of a new behavioural pattern (‘feeding pivot’). The significance of these behaviours is discussed in the broader context of mobulids’ feeding ecology, and a potential adaptive significance for the silver funnel surrounding the mouth of this species is proposed.

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Acknowledgements

This study had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE and individual support to PA – FCT/IF/01640/2015), the Regional Government of the Azores (projects EcoDive-ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000059 and BALA-13/DRAM/2015, individual support to JF – SFRH/BPD/66532/2009, BL – M3.1.a/F/098/2015 and AFS – M3.1a/F/025/2015) and the EC (projects AtlantOS-BG-8-2014 and MEESO H2020-LC-BG-03-2018). We thank the local dive operators (Dive Azores, CW Azores, Norberto Diver, Pico Sport) and their staff for providing assistance with field work, and also J. Stewart and one anonymous reviewer for insightful suggestions and constructive criticism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), R. Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado 4, Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal

    S. Solleliet-Ferreira, B.C.L. Macena, A.F. Sobral, P. Afonso & J. Fontes

  2. Okeanos Research Centre of the University of the Azores, R. Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado 4, Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal

    S. Solleliet-Ferreira, B.C.L. Macena, B.J.L. Laglbauer, A.F. Sobral, P. Afonso & J. Fontes

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  1. S. Solleliet-Ferreira
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  2. B.C.L. Macena
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  3. B.J.L. Laglbauer
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  4. A.F. Sobral
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  5. P. Afonso
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  6. J. Fontes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Solleliet-Ferreira.

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The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Ethics approval

This study was performed according to national Portuguese laws for the use of vertebrates in research, and approved by the Azorean Directorate of Sea Affairs of the Azores, which oversees and issues permits for scientific activities for threatened and vulnerable species and in the Princess Alice Protected Area. All procedures followed the guidelines for the use of fishes in research of the American Fisheries Society.

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Solleliet-Ferreira, S., Macena, B., Laglbauer, B. et al. Sicklefin devilray and common remora prey jointly on baitfish. Environ Biol Fish 103, 993–1000 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-020-00990-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-020-00990-9

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