![]() Mantas are not aggresive but are dangerous because of their rough skin and huge size which has led to the deaths of deep-sea divers whose airlines have been entangled with these creatures. Mainly plankton feeders, but may feed on small and moderate-sized fishes as well (Ref. 7251) but also encountered in surface or mid-waters of lagoons, shallow muddy bays, off river mouths, and seaward reefs. Other Physical Features: ectothermic bilateral symmetry The skin of manta rays is rough and scaly, like that of most sharks. These rays vary in color from black to grayish blue along the back, and a white underside with grayish blotchs that have been used to identify individual rays. One of the distinct features of manta rays, and of the class Chondrichthyes, is that the entire skeleton is made of cartilage, which allows for a wide range of motion. The largest ever recorded was 9.1 meters. Manta rays show little dimorphism between the sexes with wingspan in males ranging from 5.2 - 6.1 meters and females ranging from 5.5 - 6.8 meters. Atlantic manta ray pups weigh 11 kg at birth and their growth is rapid, with pups virtually doubling the body width from birth through the first year of life. Manta rays also have a short, whip-like tail that, unlike many rays, has no sharp barb. The gills are located on the underside of the body. They have two cephalic lobes that extend from the front of the head and a broad, rectangular, terminal mouth containing small teeth exclusively in the lower jaw. Manta rays are easily reconized in the ocean by their large pectoral "wings." Manta birostris have no dorsal or caudal fins. Gulf of Maine to Brazil, and occasionaly further north Size: to at least 8 m disc width and over two tons in weight.Ĭircumtropical throughout our region except the northern Gulf of California. Head relatively wide, projecting with a pair of paddle-like extensions large triangular "wings" (pectoral fin flaps) mouth at front of head, relatively wide teeth in lower jaw only tail long and whip-like, without spines disc above and below covered with small denticles.ĭark grey to black above, sometimes with white patches on shoulders white on underside. ![]() They are circumglobal and are typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, but can also be found in temperate waters.Ĭommon names: manta (English), mantarraya (Espanol), manta (Espanol) The giant oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris) is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae, and the largest type of ray in the world.
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