They can weigh up to 4,400 pounds (2,000 kilos)! This manta ray can reach a considerable size, with an average width of 13 to 16.5 feet (4-5 meters) and sometimes up to 23 feet (7 meters). Mantas are huge but not dangerous at all! The sting that is present in Stingrays is absent from all manta rays, so relax. This species weighs around 2,900 pounds (1,300 kilos).įemales are larger than the males to accommodate their pup during “ pregnancy.” The ventral part of the body is white with black spots, while the dorsal side is darker, forming a distinctive white or grey Y-shape along the ‘shoulders.’Īs the name suggests, this species usually lives along coral reefs and makes short migrations according to the abundance of food. The exception to this rule is the population of Mozambique, in which they can grow up to 13 to 15 feet (4-4.5 meters) wide. Of the two species, the Reef Manta is the smallest, with an average disc-width of 10 to 11.5 feet (3-3.5 meters).
Now let’s see how to distinguish between the two species of manta ray. It’s thought that they can live between 40 and 50 years, but we still need more information to be able to establish their exact longevity.
Both are plankton feeders, so instead of teeth, they use their gills in order to filter the microscopic food from the water. There are two species of manta: the Resident Reef Manta Ray and the Giant Oceanic Manta Ray. Instead, they move within the water column as if they are flying, elegantly using their modified, wing-like pectoral fins. Their body is flattened, but they no longer live along the bottom of the sea. They have existed for around 5 million years, and they’re closely related to other rays you may find in the ocean. Some studies investigate whether remoras slow down their hosts due to increased drag, but it appears the remoras’ streamlined bodies evolved to make sure they are successful hitchhikers that don’t place extra energy demands on their hosts.Īmazing, cooperative relationships between species exist throughout the animal kingdom and especially the ocean.Manta rays belong to the elasmobranch group, just like sharks.
Without the remoras, manta rays would likely have to stop at coral reefs more frequently to have scavengers like shrimp and even smaller fish clean their skin instead. In return, the manta ray gets a personal spa treatment from the remoras attached to it as they clean the manta’s skin of bacteria and parasites, which keeps their host healthy. The remora’s ability to suction causes no harm to the manta rays and doesn’t even make lasting changes to their skin tissue.
Luckily, manta rays are messy eaters (you would be too if your mouth was wide open all the time!) and leave behind trails of food scraps that the remora can also benefit from. In this case, remoras cling to the manta ray’s body (often on the underside, but sometimes on its dorsal side) for protection, easy transportation, and feeds when the manta ray glides into plankton-rich waters. Mantas and remoras have what biologists call a mutualistic relationship, meaning both animals benefit from each other. Manta ray and remoras in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.