First insights into oceanic manta ray movements in Japan using satellite telemetry

Japanese waters represent the northern distributional limit of the western Pacific distribution of the oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris), yet movement ecology in this region remains poorly understood. We report movements of the first satellite-tagged individual in Japan. High-resolution depth-time series data documented repeated dives to 300 m and a maximum depth of 1082 m, with deeper use occurring predominantly at night. The individual undertook repeated long-distance movements between the Kerama Islands and Miyako Islands, including multiple transits across the Okinawa-Miyako Submarine Plateau and associated bathymetric features. Although based on a single tracked individual, these observations provide the first high-resolution movement data of M. birostris in Japanese waters and highlight key hypotheses regarding habitat use and connectivity for future investigation.