Cheeky Giant Manta from Blue Sphere Media on Vimeo. Giant mantas are revered by divers, who find their presence soothing because they’re so gentle, and soar through the ocean with such grace.īut during a recent expedition to a remote area off Peru, Josh Stewart was surprised to find himself being tucked into the winged fins of a 15-foot manta and somersaulted during an encounter that might be the first of its kind. Fortunately, their appeal to SCUBA divers and other tourism operations as a charismatic species makes mantas more valuable alive than to fishers.Josh Stewart being swept up by a manta ray video screen grab Threats to manta ray populations include bycatch, marine debris, vessel strikes, and environmental changes that affect their habitats and prey. Manta rays are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List and are listed under the Endangered Species Act and and CITES Appendix II. Scientists believe mantas can live to be at least 50 years old, though we still don’t know much about their growth and development throughout their lifespans. Manta rays reach maturity when they are fully grown at between eight and 10 years old. Pups are born with their wings wrapped around their body to allow easier passage through the birth canal. They are ovoviviparous reproducers, meaning the embryo develops in the mother’s uterus before being born live. A manta pregnancy can last nearly a year. Giant manta rays have one of the lowest reproductive rates of all cartilaginous fish, giving birth to one pup every two to five years. A group of manta rays is called a squadron. Manta rays are generally solitary throughout their lives, though they do gather for feeding and mating opportunities. Within the National Marine Sanctuary System, we see manta rays in or near Flower Garden Banks, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale, American Samoa, Channel Islands, Florida Keys, Gray’s Reef, and Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuaries. They are commonly seen offshore and near productive coastlines, and they are migratory throughout the year. Mantas are generally found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide. A full-grown adult manta can eat as much as 60 pounds of food each day, which can equal millions of microscopic plankton! On rare occasions, they will perform barrel rolls while feeding to maximize their prey intake. Food that enters the mouth is filtered by organs called gill rakers before being swallowed whole. Manta rays are passive filter feeders, swimming with their gaping mouths open and filtering plankton and small fish from the water that flows through. In addition to their impressive body size, giant manta rays have the biggest brains of any known fish in the ocean. They are the only vertebrate animals that have three sets of paired appendages: two pectoral fins, two sets of gills, and two lobes that extend from the mouth. Manta rays have two distinct colorations that are determined by genetics and where they live: chevron, a darker black back and white belly, and all black. There are two distinct species of manta recognized by science: the giant manta ray, which is oceanic, and the reef manta, which lives closer to the coast. Their wingspans can reach as many as 29 feet long and they can weigh upwards of 3,600 pounds when fully grown! Females tend to be slightly smaller than males. They have a distinctive, diamond-shaped body with long, wing-like pectoral fins, ventrally located gill slits, and characteristically wide mouths that have a lobe on each side that help channel water in.
Manta rays are members of the cartilaginous fish family and the largest species of ray in the entire world. For centuries, mantas have captured the human imagination, making their way into cultural lore and traditions.
Manta rays ( Mobula birostris ) are majestic, mysterious, and one of the largest fishes in the world’s ocean. A manta ray glides through Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
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