[4] The species was first described in 1987 after the Italian ecologist Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara observed one of these acrobatic spectacles and decided to name them after his scientific mentor, Walter Munk.

[5] Part of the Elasmobranch group Squalea, Munk's devil ray's are large fish with horizontally flattened bodies, bulging eyes on the sides of their heads, and gill slits on the underside.

Protruding from the front of their heads is a pair of fleshy lobes that enable them to funnel food into their mouths as they move through the water.

They also have a small dorsal fin with a brownish to mauve-gray rim outlining a lighter gray area in the center, a long and slender tail, and no caudal spine.

The upper surface of this fish is lavender-gray to a dark purple-gray, and the underside is white, tinged with gray towards the tips of the pectoral fins.

[9] Mobula munkiana rays are found in tropical parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Gulf of California to Peru, as well as near offshore islands such as the Galapagos, Cocos, and Malpelo.

The M. munkiana specifically has a high number of goblet cells that secrete mucus along the epithical layer, which helps trap the food.

Only one egg is produced per reproductive cycle, exhibiting low birth rates in comparison to other elasmobranch species.

However, an excess of unwanted nutrients can become an issue as it can lead to developmental defects or improper growth that is harmful to the mother and the future of the embryo.

[25] These external issues, combined with their low fecundity, long reproductive cycles, and filter feeding, make them more susceptible to contaminants.

[26] Due to these conservation concerns, Munk’s pygmy devil rays are protected under many international and national laws, such as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, and the national decree No.

Some of this new research includes DNA barcoding that provides a more accurate assessment of the proportion of mobuild species being caught in small-scale fisheries.