Mobula cf. birostris (Atlantic manta ray) genome, sMobBir1, sequence data
Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus Mobula (formerly its own genus Manta). The larger species, M. birostris, reaches 7 m (23 ft) in width, while the smaller, M. alfredi, reaches 5.5 m (18 ft). It has been proposed that there is a third species called Atlantic Manta Ray (Mobula cf. birostris or Mobula giorna). This genome belongs to this putative third species, of a male found near Marineland, Florida, and kept in the Georgia Aquarium. Use of the sample was coordinated by Gavin Naylor, Kady Lyons, Ben Parrot, Olivier Fedrigo, and Emily Bertucci to generate a high-quality reference genome for the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP) and a genomic project for monitoring the demographic health of endangered shark populations. Sequencing and genome assembly were conducted at the Vertebrate Genomes Lab (VGL) at the Rockefeller University, led by Olivier Fedrigo and Erich D. Jarvis.