M. japanica's eyes sit on the side of the head, while the mouth is on the underside for convenient filter feeding as it swims through the ocean.

When looking down, their dark dorsal slide allows them to blend in with the deep blue below and when looking up, their white ventral side allows them to appear homogenous with the lighter surface hit with sunlight.

Their widely distributed pattern has to do with factors such as food availability and water column dynamics, with which they adapt accordingly based off of the surrounding ecosystem and environment.

[1] Limited studies have shown that they have a preference for more warm and shallow waters like the Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, and southwest Pacific Ocean.

However, one study in particular found that despite their "preference", the spinetail mobula distribution is directly related to seasonal upwelling systems with high productivity in the cold coastal waters, such as the eastern Pacific Ocean.

[11] During the months before summer, many individuals of M. japanica inhabit the continental shelf before migrating to tropical waters for the rest of the year.

[5] A recent study following the depth and temperatures at which these organisms reach within a 24 hour time period shows that M. japanica spend the days in deeper waters and then undergo a nocturnal migration to the surface at night to feed.

As previously mentioned, their movement is highly correlated to the food abundance causing them to readily move up and down the water column.

[14] During upwelling events, spinetail mobula rays rush to the coasts and take advantage of the boost in zooplankton and nutrient abundance.

The study found 5 different groups that made up the stomach contents: decapods, copepods, gastropods, Polychaeta and other prey.

Furthermore, due to their movement around the world being tied closely to the environment that influences the distribution of zooplankton, they are more susceptible to environmental changes such as ocean acidification and global warming.

[12] Especially due to their low reproductive rates, late maturity and slow growth, the spinetail mobula ray is particularly vulnerable and it would take a while to recover from depletion or exploitation.