NEW RECORD OF GIANT DEVIL RAY (CHONDRICHTHYES: MYLIOBATIDAE) FROM ORAN BAY (WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA)

The present paper reports a new record of Giant devil ray Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) from western Algerian waters that is encountered for the first time in that coast since its first description in 1901 and last observation in late 80’s. This elasmobranch is categorized as endangered on the IUCN Red List (Endangered A2d ver 3.1) and is likely to be the rarest of the nine species of Mobula genus. Occasionally it is captured in Mediterranean Sea by purse seines, bottom and pelagic trawls, pelagic nets, bottom longlines, drifters and harpoons. The specimen stranded in “la Madrague Beach” in Western Algerian coasts. Its disc length was measuring 108.96 cm and disc width was 226.02 cm. This Myliobatidae is rarely seen with daily landed fish at Oran fishery. Up to date no explicit reason can be given for the strand of M. mobular but ghost fishing and important maritime traffic stay the most plausible cause of this incident