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The recently described Lutz's stingray Hypanus berthalutzae is endemic to the Brazilian Province, including oceanic islands. Although it is expected to have life-history traits similar to the southern stingray H. americanus, little is known about its reproductive biology. Here we present the first observations of courtship behaviour (n = 4), copulation (n = 3) and an induced parturition of H. berthalutzae at the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, an insular Marine Protected Area from the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The mating event records included (1) 'chasing/close following', (2) 'biting/precopulatory biting', (3) 'insertion/copulation' and (4) 'separation'. These results are especially relevant considering that records of reproductive behaviour in the wild are rare for elasmobranchs in general. Mating events occurred in different months, suggesting that the reproductive cycle of H. berthalutzae in this insular system is asynchronous, as observed for other stingray species in regions with favourable environmental conditions and abundant food throughout the year. The opportunistic documentation of the induced parturition allowed for direct nonlethal observation of the two pups at or near full term in late May. Although preliminary, these observations should be considered in future management plans as they provide relevant data about the life-history traits and mating behaviour of this endemic and threatened species.

Manta rays are marine planktivorous elasmobranchs that are distributed worldwide and highly susceptible to overexploitation. Although they are legally protected in Brazil since March 2013, incidental and intentional captures still occur. The sharp population decline following the intensification of targeted fisheries and bycatch highlights the urgent need of manta ray protection. This study provides information on several threats to manta rays (Mobula birostris and M. cf. birostris) in Brazil, including the frequency and geographic extent of the occurrences and their fishing and entanglement with fishing gear. We analysed photo/video records, and the scientific literature reporting mobulids incidence and focused on events of entanglement in fishing gear, intentional and incidental caught of manta rays, obtained from 2000 to 2020. From a total of 270 records of manta rays’ occurrences, 70 displayed wounds from anthropogenic activities, including 29 lethal records. Most of the injured individuals were recorded in the State of Sao Paulo (31.4%; n = 22), followed by Pernambuco (20.0%; n = 14), Rio de Janeiro (10.0%; n = 7), Bahia (8.6%; n = 6), Rio Grande do Norte (7.1%; n = 5), and Espirito Santo (5.7%; n = 4). Despite outnumbered, all manta rays’ occurrences in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara, Sergipe, Para, Piaui and Santa Catarina showed individuals either captured by fishers, with body scars or dragging fishing artefacts. The majority (61.4%) of injured individuals were recorded after the national protected status was implemented to the family Mobulidae, and all injuries observed were consequences of anthropogenic action. Our results highlight the diverse sources of threat and injuries patterns for manta rays in the nationwide territory and underscore the urgent need for monitoring fishing impacts and promoting effective enforcement of the national regulation for the protection of manta rays in Brazil.

Despite substantial progress in mobulid research over the past decade, knowledge gaps in manta ray ecology and behaviour remain, particularly in the South Atlantic Ocean. Opportunistic photographic and video records of manta rays collected between 2002 and 2019 at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FNA) in northeast Brazil provide evidence to support the year-round use of the region by manta rays (believed to beMobulacf.birostris). From a total of 130 sighting records, manta rays exhibited feeding behaviour in 36.9% (n = 48) of sightings, indicating that the shallow waters surrounding the archipelago are used as feeding grounds. Approximately half of the records (53.8%) corresponded to identified individuals that were re-sighted repeatedly, using the area in different seasons and for several years. Of the compiled records, 69.2% of sightings were of small individuals (≤3 m disc width). All identified males had undeveloped claspers and females had no visible mating scars, suggesting a juvenile population. Despite being limited to a small local sample, here we present the first report of manta rays atFNAand provide preliminary evidence of feeding behaviour by juvenile manta rays in Brazil. This information contributes to our understanding of the regional distribution and habitat use of manta rays in Brazilian waters.