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Manta Ray
Manta birostris (Donndorff, 1798)
A 2m wide Manta Ray at North West Solitary Island, New South Wales. Photo © I. Shaw. View larger image.
Front view of a Manta Ray. The broad mouth and cephalic lobes are clearly visible. Photo © I. Shaw. View larger image.
The Manta Ray is the largest species of ray in the world. Disc widths have been reliably measured up to 6.7 m, but this species possibly grows up to 9.1 m disc width. Individuals of 4 m disc width are relatively common. The disc of the Manta Ray is wider than it is long.
This species has one dorsal fin and a whip-like tail which lacks a sting. The surface of the body is rough to touch. (View images of Manta Ray thorns). They have a very broad mouth, on either side of which are prominent fleshy extensions called cephalic lobes.
Manta Rays are grey-blue to green-brown above. The "shoulder region" of the disc may also have pale grey markings (obvious in the upper image). The underside of the disc is white, often with grey margins.
Divers sometimes see Manta Rays swimming gracefully through the water feeding on plankton. The planktonic organisms are filtered from the water by the gills. Despite most individuals being seen swimming slowly, the Manta Ray is capable of swimming at rapid speed. They are sometimes observed leaping out of the water and landing back on the surface with a loud slap.
The Manta Ray lives in tropical, marine waters worldwide, but is also found occasionally in temperate seas. In Australia it is recorded from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the southern coast of New South Wales.
Related links
- View a low resolution movie clip (112k) of this species. Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.
- View the Rays list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994 Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
