The Manta Ray (Manta birostris) is closely related to sharks. Like the shark their skeleton is made of cartilage. On average they are about 20 feet wide and weigh up to 3000 pounds. They are the largest of the rays. They are dark brown or black above and white underneath. Two flap-like lobes extending from their eyes are used to funnel microscopic plankton into their mouths. They also eat small fish and crustaceans. They have no teeth.

The word manta is Spanish meaning blanket, which is a word that describes the appearance of these animals very well.

Mantas are distributed worldwide and generally inhabit tropical seas. They are graceful swimmers using their fins to propel them through the water. They are also known to leap clear out of the water. They have few natural predators, such as the shark or killer whale.

Females give birth to one or two pups. They are about 45 inches long at birth and weigh 20 pounds. The young grow quickly.

Manta Rays are harmless to divers. Some Rays have stinging tails. Their life span is unknown.

This manta is from Ty Inc. Its name is Sunray.

The Manta Ray shown below is made by Dakin and is one of their Wyland Collection.

Manta photo courtesy NOAA

Class: Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous fishes) | Subclass: Elasmobranchii (sharks and batoids) | Superorder: Batoidea (batoids) | Order: Myliobatiformes (eagle and manta rays)| Family: Myliobatidae (manta/devil rays) | Genus: Manta | Species: birostris

This is Sting, a stingray made by Ty Inc. Sting is a Beanie Baby. He was retired in January 1997.

Stingrays (Dasyatidae) use their greatly enlarged pectoral fins to excavate the bottom, searching for shellfish that they crush with broad, flat teeth. It is common to find these rays buried in sand or mud. If an unwary wader steps on this ray, they could be stung by the poisonous tail spine. The pain from the sting is excruciating.

These rays are anywhere from 1 to 7 feet long. They generally inhabit warm, shallow seas.

The Diamond stingray (Dasyatis brevis) is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. The sting from this ray is extremely serious and there is at least one death recorded. These rays like to bury themselves in the sand and can become nearly invisible. Their range is off the coast of British Columbia all the way south to Peru. They are common along the coast of San Diego, California, and also in the Gulf of California.

The large, wide butterfly rays, often considered part of this group, are not as dangerous.

This is a Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari). It is made by Wild Republic. Check the Gift Shop to see if we have any in stock.

Spotted Eagle Rays are found in coastal surface waters. Their range is circumtropical. They can reach a width of 9 feet. The tail is long and like a whip with two spiny stingers are its base. Though generally solitary, they will congregate when spawning or migrating. They will make spectacular leaps into the air when pursued.

Class: Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous fishes) | Subclass: Elasmobranchii (sharks and batoids) | Superorder: Batoidea (batoids) | Order: Myliobatiformes (eagle and manta rays)| Family: Dasyatidae | Genus: Dasyatis