An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyan fishes inhabiting the northern Gulf of Mexico Part 1: Batoidea Author Jones, Christian M. National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Mississippi Laboratories, 3209 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, Mississippi, U. S. A. Author Driggers Iii, William B. Author Hannan, Kristin M. Riverside Technologies Inc., Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Mississippi Laboratories, 3209 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, Mississippi, U. S. A. kristin. hannan @ noaa. gov; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 2687 - 3331 Author Hoffmayer, Eric R. Author Jones, Lisa M. Author Raredon, Sandra J. Smithsonian Institution, Division of Fishes, Museum Support Center, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland, U. S. A. raredons @ si. edu; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 8295 - 6000 text Zootaxa 2020 2020-06-26 4803 2 281 315 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.4803.2.3 1175-5326 3909109 325DB7EF-94F7-4726-BC18-7B074D3CB886 Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792) —giant manta, giant manta ray Synonyms: Brachioptilon hamiltoni Hamilton and Newman, 1849 Cephaloptera diabolus Valenciennes, 1839 Cephalopterus manta Bancroft, 1829 Cephalopterus vampyrus Mitchill, 1824 Ceratoptera birostris (Walbaum, 1792) Ceratoptera ehrenbergii Müller and Henle, 1841 Ceratoptera johnii Müller and Henle, 1841 Ceratoptera lesueurii Swainson, 1839 Ceratoptera orissa Lloyd, 1908 Diabolichthys elliotti Holmes, 1859 Manatia lacepedei Billberg, 1833 Manta americana Bancroft, 1829 Manta birostris (Walbaum, 1792) Manta pinchoti Whitley, 1936 Manta raya Baer, 1899 Raja birostris Walbaum, 1792 Raja fimbriata Lacepède, 1802 Distribution. This species is largely pelagic and sightings have been made throughout the northern GOM (SEFSC, unpublished data). Pattengill-Semmens and Gittings (2003) indicate year round presence at the Flower Gardens Banks. First Record in GOM. With the emergence of a second putative manta species in the northern GOM ( Mobula cf. birostris , See Below ), it is difficult to determine which sightings refer to M. birostris and which to M. cf. birostris . At present however, the first record of this species from the northern GOM appears to be a sighting by Royal Marine Captain Triscott from off the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1808 ( Guyon 1849 ). Remarks. The taxonomic history of this species is long and convoluted (see Synonyms above). Many proposed synonyms are based on poor descriptions or even poorer illustrations and in many cases the only evidence toward synonymy with Mobula birostris is the size of the individual(s) reported and/or the location of capture/sighting. The presence of a second putative manta species in the western Atlantic confuses the issue even further. In some cases ( e.g. Lacapede 1802) there is associated information in a description that contradicts synonymy with Mobula birostris as much as confirms it. Until recently ( Marshall et al. 2009 ), Mobula alfredi (Krefft, 1868) was considered a synonym of Mobula birostris and both of these species were previously placed in the genus Manta Bancroft, 1829 until that genus was invalidated by a recent revision ( White et al. 2018 ). Childs (2001) and Stewart et al. (2018) both indicated that the Flower Garden Banks serve as important juvenile habitat for this species. Conservation Status. Vulnerable (IUCN), and listed as Threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act.