Common names
Manta, Riesen-Teufelsrochen, Riesenmanta, Teufelsrochen, Manta, Manta atlantica, Manta atlántica gigante, Manta gigante, Manta raya, Manta voladora, Mantaraya, Mortaja voladora, Raya, Diable de mer, Grande mante, Manta, Mante atlantique, Mante du Pacifique, Mante géante, Atlantic manta, Australian devilray, Blanketfish, Devil ray, Devil-ray, Devilfish, Eagleray, Giant Atlantic manta, Giant devil ray, Giant manta, Great devil fish, Manta, Manta ray, Mantaray, Munguna, Pacific manta, Prince Alfreds ray, Sea devil, Skeete, Diavolo di mare, Manta, Diabo-do-mar, Jamanta, Jamanta gigante, Manta, Maroma, Morcego-do-mar, Peixe-diabo, Raia-jamanta, Urjamanta

Short Description
A giant ray having an extremely broad head with long head fins, and a terminal mouth; upper surface of disc covered with denticles, and tail usually without a spine [536]. Blackish above, sometimes with white shoulder patches; white below, with grey edging on disc [536]. Tail whiplike but short [17658].

Distribution
Circumtropical. Western Atlantic: Bermuda and South Carolina, USA and Brazil to Uruguay [5839], occasionally farther north [17659]. Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951).
New records: 2017: [25847]: near the Palomino Islets, Lima, Peru; 2019: New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean [27359] Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: minor commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

Biology
Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures [733]. Bears up to 2 young [536]; born at 122-127 cm WD [2539]. A female of 550 cm width and weighing 1050 kg was collected in the Galapagos in June and was carrying a well-developed embryo of 12.7 kg [16090]. Size at partuition might be from 1.1 to 1.3 m and from 9.1 to 1.14 kg [17014]. Yano et al (1999) (Ref. 35892) describe the mating behavior of manta rays based on observations off Ogasawara Islands, Japan, in the following sequence: 1) "quot;chasing"quot;, the male rapidly follows behind the tail of the female and attacks her several times; 2) "quot;nipping"quot;, the male nips the tip of the pectoral fin of the female and then moves to the ventral surface of the female; 3) "quot;copulating"quot;, the male inserts a clasper into the cloacaof the female and copulates abdomen-to-abdomen, up to 123 seconds; 4) "quot;post-copulating"quot;; 5) "quot;separating"quot;. (Ref. 49562). Common on coastal waters [17641]. One of the best areas to view them is around Sangalaki Island, off the northeastern coast of Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), [17645]. Mainly in near-shore waters, near coral and rocky reefs; sometimes found over deep water [1658]. Penetrates shallow muddy bays and the intertidal and occurs off river mouths (Ref. 9911). Pelagic [17640]. Occurs singly or in loose aggregations [1658]. Mainly plankton feeders, but may feed on small and moderate-sized fishes as well (Ref. 9911). A carnivore [17641]. Leaps out the water mainly in spring and autumn, possibly as part of mating behavior [17014]. Easily approached (Ref. 9911).

Size / Weight / Age
910 cm WD (male/unsexed; [2539]); max. published weight: 3,000.0 kg (Ref. 5377); max. reported age: 20 years [17014]

Habitat
reef-associated; oceanodromous [17660]; marine; depth range 0 - 120 m [17640], usually 0 - ? m (Ref. 55255)

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=14822; CITES: (see: Protected Species for more details) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora annex: II; Council Regulation 2017/160 annex: B

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Trematoda

• Anaporrhutum mantae Nagaty & Abdel Aal, 1961 [23393]

Copepoda

• Anthosoma crassum (Abildgaard, 1794) [15305] [27172]
• Entepherus laminipes Bere, 1936 [15950] [15305] [27172]
• Eudactylina diabolophila Deets, 1994 (nomen nudum) [17867]