A graceful, plankton-feeding ray with the largest wingspan of any fish, a star of tropical reef tourism.
Where it lives
Giant oceanic manta rays roam tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, particularly around productive reef passes, seamounts, and upwellings where plankton aggregates. They are highly migratory, traveling thousands of kilometers between feeding and “cleaning station” sites.
How to recognise it
A vast, diamond-shaped body with wingspans up to seven meters. The back is black to deep blue with distinctive white “shoulder” patches; the underside is white with individually unique dark spots used to identify individuals. Two cephalic fins flank the wide terminal mouth and unfurl during feeding.
Diet & behavior
Mantas are filter feeders that swim with mouths agape, channeling zooplankton through long, plate-like gill rakers. They perform spectacular feeding maneuvers — barrel rolls, chain feeding, and somersaults — at plankton swarms. Mantas have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish and recognize individual humans.
Fisheries & Conservation
Listed as Endangered. Targeted fisheries for gill rakers used in Chinese medicine have decimated some populations; tourism now provides a strong economic argument for protection.
Find more fish by letter
Manta Ray starts with M and ends with Y. Browse other fish along the same letter.
Fish that contain a letter from "Manta Ray":