By Celeste Anna R. Formoso
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, April 10 (PNA) – The Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) admitted that it made a mistake in the identification of the manta look-alike Mobula japonica.
According to the TMO in a post on March 26 at its website, its March 9 announcement of the first-ever sighting of the Mobula japonica through the article “Another First in Tubbataha” appeared to be a misidentification after the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines (MWWP) pointed it to them.
“It appears we jumped the gun in making the announcement. LAMAVE (Large Marine Vertebrates Project Philippines) had just then given us its preliminary findings and was still analyzing more footage from hundreds of videos taken in Tubbataha last year when we made the announcement. We threw caution to the wind. Mea culpa!” the TMO’s statement said.
It further quoted Chief Executive and Founder of Manta Trust Guy Stevens in saying that distinguishing the Mobula japonica from Mobula thurstoni, a moderate-sized devilray, “is tricky at the best of times, even with good ID shots, so the identification of the individual in questions is by no means certain.”
Stevens supposedly said however, that “on balance, there are a few things, which makes his “colleagues” and him more inclined to believe this is the Mobula thurstoni.
Accordingly, “the dark shading on the underside of the pectoral fins” of the manta look-alike that was seen “is more common on Mobula thurstoni; the double curvature to the leading edge of the pectoral fins, resulting in the appearance of slightly bent-shaped pectoral fins, is also a feature of the said devilray.”
The TMO, which is headed by Angelique Songco, said that it will confirm the identification of the manta look-alike.
“We will confirm the identification and announce it here later – less precipitately than we did before, surely. Thanks to our friends from MWWP, LAMAVE and Manta Trust for their comments and help,” the statement said, adding “However, the good news is, whether it was the Mobula japonica or the Mobula thurstoni, it still is a first in Tubbataha.”
In March this year, the LAMAVE Project Philippines launched in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) World Heritage Site a new research project to conduct a comprehensive biodiversity assessment of sharks and rays.
The research work will focus on “ascertaining and quantifying the biodiversity, population and distribution of sharks and rays in and around the park.”
The TMO and LAMAVE said results of the research will assist in “determining the migratory behavior of the marine wildlife for specific, focused and actions to protect them.”
It can be recalled that the TMO announced on March 9 the sighting of the previously unrecorded manta look-alike Mobula japonica in the waters of Tubbataha. (PNA)