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Manta Ray
Manta Ray Facts
| Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things | Animalia |
| Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom | Chordata |
| Class: A group of animals within a pylum | Chondrichthyes |
| Order: A group of animals within a class | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: A group of animals within an order | Mobulidae |
| Genus: A group of animals within a family | Manta |
| Common Name: Most widely used name for this species | Manta Ray |
| Scientific Name: The name of the animal in science | Manta Birostris |
| Origin: The area where the animal first came from | Worldwide |
| Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats | Carnivore |
| Size (L): How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is | 6m - 9m (19.7ft - 29.5ft) |
| Water Type: Either freshwater, brakish or salt | Salt |
| Optimum pH Level: The perfect acidity conditions for the animal | 6 - 9 |
| Lifespan: How long the animal lives for | 15 - 20 years |
| Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct | Near Threatened |
| Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings | Grey, Blue, Black, White |
| Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal | Smooth |
| Favourite Food: The preferred food of this animal | Fish |
| Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives | Warmer tropical waters |
| Average Clutch Size: The average number of eggs laid at once | 2 |
| Main Prey: The food that the animal gains energy from | Fish, Plankton, Shrimp |
| Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal | Sharks, Humans, Killer Whales |
| Distinctive Features: Characteristics unique to this animal | Plate-like teeth and enormous body |
Manta Ray Location
Manta Ray
The manta ray is a large species of flattened fish, closely related to other cartilaginous fish such as sharks. The manta ray is the largest species of ray in the world with some manta ray individuals reaching up to 9 meters wide.
The manta ray is most commonly found in the warmer, tropical of waters of the world's oceans, typically around coral reefs and along the continental shelves where food is in abundance. However, due to their enormous size, manta rays are also commonly spotted hunting out in the open ocean.
The manta ray is a solitary animal and is also a graceful swimmer. Like other large species of fish, manta rays swim by moving their pectoral fins up and down which propels their enormous body through the surrounding water. The short tail of the manta ray also allows the manta ray to be more acrobatic with its movement, and they have even be seen leaping out of the water.
Manta rays are known to frequently visit cleaning stations where small fish such as wrasse and angelfish swim in the manta ray's gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and dead tissue. Manta rays are generally not interested in eating these smaller fish as they are providing a great service to the manta ray.
Unlike many sharks, manta rays do not actually have teeth and instead sieve the food particles out of the water using rows of tiny plates in their mouths, which they funnel in their mouths as they swim. Manta rays eat tiny marine organisms including microscopic plankton, small fish and crustaceans.
Despite its large size, the relatively docile nature of the manta ray means that it is actually preyed upon by a number of large marine predators. Large species of shark such as the great white shark, killer whales and also humans are known to hunt the manta ray.
After mating the female manta ray lays a couple of eggs which actually develop and then hatch inside her. This process is known as aplacental viviparity and is quite commonly seen in the reproduction of a number of shark and ray species. Within 6 weeks of hatching, the female manta ray gives birth to 1 or 2 manta ray pups, which develop into large adults fairly quickly.
Today, although the manta ray is not considered to be a species that is in imminent danger of extinction in the wild, the manta ray population numbers have been declining more quickly in recent years. Manta rays are particularly susceptible to pollution in the water and are quickly affected by overfishing in certain areas, and therefore a lack of food.
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First Published: 5th July 2010, Last Updated: 8th November 2019
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