A Família Mobulidae através das mídias sociais no Estado de Alagoas, Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Giant rays, belonging to the Mobulidae Family, are fish known for being the largest rays in existence, reaching up to seven meters in disc width. It occurs worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters and is globally and nationally endangered. In Alagoas, data on species records, fisheries or sightings of manta rays are scarce. The methodology of this work aimed to mine data on social media about Mobulidae in the State of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil. Searches carried out on Instagram and YouTube resulted in five records and through WhatsApps seven records were received. In the records, incidental captures were of five individuals of Mobula birostris, two of M. hypostoma and one of M. tarapacana. Of the total of twelve records, ten were of captures, with the fishing gear identified as gillnet, net, line and harpoon. The South Coast had the highest number of captures and one stranding, followed by the Central Coast. The North Coast obtained only one capture record. Two females and one male were identified, and it was not possible to verify the sex of the other individuals. The largest specimens found were over 300 cm, both M. birostris, and the smallest measured below 100 cm. Based on the estimated Mobulidae DW size, only one individual of the M. tarapacana species would have sexual maturity. The final destination of the captured animals was the possible local meat trade. The conservation of these animals is of great importance, in addition to preventing the population decline of manta rays, they also contribute to economic development through diving tourism, generating employment and income locally. Using social media as a methodology, it was possible to obtain unpublished scientific data. With these new data on the Mobulidae Family in Alagoas, we added information on new occurrences of species for the State, helping to plan and promote Environmental Education activities for the conservation of Mobula spp. With the development of new projects, involving social media, it will be possible to contribute to a greater knowledge about the Mobulidade Family on the coast of Alagoas.