Family Mobulidae of Pakistan: Taxonomic assessment for their conservation and management

Abstract

Species belonging to the family Mobulidae of Pakistan are described based on external morphology. In Pakistan, six species of Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1972), Mobula eregoodoo (Cantor, 1849), Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788), Mobula kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841), Mobula tarapacana (Philippi, 1892), and Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908) belonging to family Mobulidae are found. Family Mobulidae are found in tropical and sub-tropical water around the world. However, their life history and ecological traits make them highly susceptible to overfishing. Like other unmanaged and unreported high-value elasmobranchs, their trade internationally led them to rapid depletion and potential indigenous extinction unless a rapid conservation management response occurs worldwide. Accurate identification at the species level is useful for the conservation, especially when direct exploitation or bycatch in various fisheries needs to be managed for their sustainability. Taxonomic misidentification creates uncertainties that could result in the mismanagement of regional and international threats of extinction. Here, we described the family Mobulidae fisheries of Pakistan based on their external morphology, an identification key is provided, and their distribution and global conservation status is also provided which will support the overall systematic stability of the mobulid rays in Pakistan and surrounding waters.