To keep from sinking and to stay in one place while being cleaned, manta rays will swim into the oncoming current. In a well-documented symbiotic relationship, giant manta rays visit cleaning stations where they let cleaner fish remove dead skin and parasites from their bodies. #4: Cleanliness is important to the giant manta ray. When manta rays come across zooplankton, they use their two large cephalic fins to direct water and food into their mouths where gill rakers filter that tasty zooplankton out of the water. These small aquatic organisms cannot swim against currents and drift with water movement. Photo Credit: Bryant TurffsĮven though these rays are very large, they feed on some of the smallest animals in the ocean – zooplankton! Zooplankton are often microscopic and grow no bigger than 0.2 inches. Take a look at our 3D model of a giant manta ray, created in collaboration with Florida Manta Project and Digital Life. It is home to a large seasonal aggregation of mantas and also serves as an important manta ray nursery. They spend time in both the open ocean and coastal waters and are drawn to each by the food sources found there.Īlthough mainly solitary animals, the Machalilla National Park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador are thought to be home to the largest populations of giant manta rays, which congregate in these areas to feed.įlorida has its own special population of giant manta rays. Giant manta rays migrate vast distances throughout the world’s tropical, subtropical and temperate waters. They can weigh up to 5,300 pounds and have a wingspan reaching up to 29 feet, which is around the size of a school bus! Scientists have discovered they have the largest brain-to-size ratio of any cold-blooded fish. The giant manta ray is the largest of all rays found in the ocean. Here are some of our favorite facts about this amazing species. The elegant cartilaginous fish known as the giant manta ray ( Mobula birostris) is easily recognized as it glides through the ocean by its horn-shaped fins and diamond-shaped body.
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