Wildlife
Manta rays are one of the most easily identified fish off tropical shores, owing to their large, triangular pectoral 'wings' that can span up to nearly 7m. Several fish species, including wrasse and remora, share symbiotic relationships with manta rays, ridding the ray of parasites, dead skin and fallen food and sometimes hitching a ride in the process. Fins at the front of the manta ray's head are said to resemble devils' horns, resulting in the alternative names devilfish or devil ray.
Scientific name: Manta birostris
Rank: Species
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Fulsome filters
Huge manta rays filter plankton when swarms rise to the surface.
One very big filter feeder is the manta ray, 18 feet across. It often feed at night when dense swarms of plankton more up towards the surface. The water is channelled into its mouth by the blades on either side of its head and then passes through filters in the slits on the sides of its throat.
Ocean wanderers
Satellite data reveals the huge range of giant mantas.
Satellite data reveals the huge range of giant mantas.
Life savers
Specialist cleaners give first aid to injured mantas.
Specialist cleaners give first aid to injured mantas.
Formation feeding
Mantas work together to maximise their catch.
Mantas work together to maximise their catch.
Food for thought
A plankton explosion attracts the a mass gathering of mantas.
A plankton explosion attracts the a mass gathering of mantas.
The Manta ray can be found in a number of locations including: Great Barrier Reef. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Manta ray distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Near Threatened
Population trend: Unknown
Year assessed: 2006
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The genus Manta contains two species of manta rays: the Reef Manta Ray (Manta alfredi) and the Giant Oceanic Manta Ray (Manta birostris), which are the largest species of the rays in the family Mobulidae, and the largest rays in the world. The largest recorded oceanic manta specimen was more than 7.6 metres (25 ft) across, with a weight of about 2,400 kilograms (5,300 lb), while reef mantas are typically 3 metres (9.8 ft) to 4 metres (13 ft) in disc width, with a maximum possible size of about 4.5 metres (15 ft). Manta rays are circumglobal and are typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, although oceanic manta rays can be found in temperate waters. Oceanic mantas reside in deep water, pelagic zones, making periodic visits to cleaning stations at seamounts and coastal reefs. Minimal concrete information exists on oceanic manta movements, but they are generally believed to be more transient and migratory than the smaller reef mantas, which tend to be resident to shallower coastal habitats. Manta rays have the largest brain-to-body ratio of the sharks, rays and skates (Elasmobranchii), with ratios approaching what is expected in mammals rather than in fish.
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