Manta rays have dorsal slit-like spiracles, traits which they share with the devil fish and Chilean devil ray. : 14 Manta rays and devil rays are the only ray species that have evolved into filter feeders. The edges of the jaws line up while in devil rays, the lower jaw shifts back when the mouth closes. The mouths of most rays lie on the underside of the head, while in mantas, they are right at the front. birostris still has a vestigial remnant of a sting barb in the form of a caudal spine. Mantas evolved from bottom-dwelling stingrays, eventually developing more wing-like pectoral fins. In 2018, an analysis of DNA, and to a lesser degree, morphology, found that Mobula was paraphyletic with respect to the manta rays that is, some members of genus Mobula are closer related to the members of the genus Manta than they are to fellow Mobula, and the researchers recommended treating Manta as a junior synonym of Mobula. The genus Manta is part of the eagle ray family Myliobatidae, where it is grouped in the subfamily Mobulinae along with the smaller Mobula devil rays. Manta rays are members of the order Myliobatiformes which consists of stingrays and their relatives. Mantas are known as 'devilfish' because of their horn-shaped cephalic fins, which are imagined to give them an 'evil' appearance. The name 'manta' is Portuguese and Spanish for mantle (cloak or blanket), a type of blanket-shaped trap traditionally used to catch rays. Only a few public aquariums are large enough to house them. Areas where mantas congregate are popular with tourists.

They are protected in international waters by the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, but are more vulnerable closer to shore. Their slow reproductive rate exacerbates these threats. Anthropogenic threats include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and direct harvesting of their gill rakers for use in Chinese medicine. Like whales, they breach for unknown reasons.īoth species are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Mantas may visit cleaning stations for the removal of parasites. Gestation lasts over a year and mantas give birth to live pups. However, research suggests that the majority of their diet (73%) actually comes from mesopelagic sources. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they gather with their open mouths as they swim. alfredi tends to be resident and coastal. birostris migrates across open oceans, singly or in groups, while M. Mantas are found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical waters.

They have the largest brains and brain to body ratio of all fish, and can pass the mirror test. They are classified among the Myliobatiformes ( stingrays and relatives) and are placed in the family Myliobatidae (eagle rays). Both have triangular pectoral fins, horn-shaped cephalic fins and large, forward-facing mouths. birostris, reaches 7 m (23 ft) in width, while the smaller, M. Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus Mobula (formerly its own genus Manta).

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