Untitled - Alaska Resources Library

Family Rhinopteridae — Cownose Rays
Rhinoptera steindachneri Evermann & Jenkins, 1891. Gabilan, Golden Cownose Ray, Golden Ray, or Pacific
Cownose Ray. To 104 cm (40.9 in) disc width (J. Bizarro, pers. comm. to M. L.). Bahia de Sebastian
Vizcaino, central Baja California (Castro-Aguirre and Espinosa Peréz 1996), to Gulf of California
(McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995), Peru (Chirichigno 1974), and Islas
Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997). Surface and near-surface waters (Grove and Lavenberg 1997)
to about 30 m (99 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002). A List and Index of the Publications of the United States
National Museum (1947) gives the date of publication as July 16, 1891; sometimes given as 1892.
Family Mobulidae — Devil Rays or Mantas
Manta birostris (Walbaum, 1792). Giant Manta or Manta. To at least 8 m (26.4 ft) disc width (Robertson and
Allen 2002). Circumglobal in warm waters; Santa Barbara, southern California to Peru (Ebert 2003),
including Gulf of California (McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995) and Islas
Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997); sighting (unverifiable) reported from Prince Willam Sound,
Alaska (Karinen et al. 1985). Pelagic, to depth of about 30 m (98 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002).
Mobula japanica (Müller & Henle, 1841). Spinetail Mobula. To at least 3.1 m (10.2 ft) disc width (McEachran
and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995). Circumglobal; central California (Ebert 2003) to
Peru (Ebert 2003), including Gulf of California (Galván-Magaña et al. 1996). Surface waters (Ebert
2003), perhaps to depth of 30 m (98 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002). (The Mobula thurstoni reported
by MacGinitie [1947] from Laguna Beach, southern California is likely M. japanica [Notarbartolo-di-
Sciara 1987]).
Mobula tarapacana (Philippi, 1893). Chilean Devil Ray or Sicklefin Devil Ray. To 3.7 m (12.1 ft) disc width
(Compagno and Last in Carpenter and Niem 1999). Circumglobal in tropical waters; southern Baja
California (McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995) to Chile (Pequeño 1989),
including Gulf of California (McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995). Surface to
perhaps 30 m (98 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002).
Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908). Smoothtail Mobula. To 1.8 m (5.9 ft) disc width (McEachran and
Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995). Probably circumglobal; southern Baja California and
Gulf of California (McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara in Fischer et al. 1995) to Ecuador (Béarez
1996). Surface to 100 m (328 ft) or more (Notarbartolo-di-Sciara 1988).
Order Acipenseriformes
Family Acipenseridae — Sturgeons
Acipenser medirostris Ayres, 1854. Green Sturgeon. To 270 cm (108 in) TL (Moyle 2002). Peter the Great
Bay, Sea of Japan (Antonenko et al. 2003) and Tohoku, Japan (Hosoya in Nakabo 2002) to Pacific
coast of Kamchatka, Bering Sea, and Gulf of Alaska (Mecklenburg et al. 2002) to Ensenada, northern
Baja California (Miller and Lea 1972). Bering Sea records have been rare and not well documented
(Mecklenburg et al. 2002). On 4 June 2005 a Green Sturgeon was caught in Kuskokwim Bay off
Kwigillingok (59°51'N, 162°08'W; Scott Meyer and Doug Molyneaux, pers. comms. with photographs
to C. W. M.). Anadromous; to 78 m (258 ft) at sea (Fisheries Research Board of Canada 1954).
Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1836. White Sturgeon. Perhaps to 6 m (20 ft) FL (Moyle 2002).
Moyle notes that the largest length records for this species were made before 1900 and “were subject
to inaccurate measurements and exaggerated reporting.” Moyle notes the largest recent record, from
Oregon, was 3.2 m (10.5 ft) long. Northern Gulf of Alaska (Mecklenburg et al. 2002) to Ensenada,
northern Baja California (Hubbs 1967, Fitch and Lavenberg 1971). Anadromous; to depth of 122 m
(400 ft) at sea (Miller and Lea 1972).
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