Bentfin devil ray vs Long-tailed Sylph

Mobula thurstoni compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

• Bentfin devil ray is Endangered while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bentfin devil ray	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Aves (Birds)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Myliobatidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Mobula	Aglaiocercus
Species	Mobula thurstoni	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

Bentfin devil ray and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Bentfin devil ray

EN — Endangered

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bentfin devil ray	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bentfin devil ray

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Chile and Taiwan. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Bentfin devil ray

The Bentfin devil ray (Mobula thurstoni) is a species in the genus Mobula. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.