As they began to move away from the reef and feed in the water column, manta rays evolved to form a large mouth at the front of their head. Sting rays generally have their mouths underneath their bodies as they feed on the sandy areas of the reef. The remnants of a stinger can still be seen on some manta rays as a small lump at the base of the tail. Though they are still considered a ‘ray’, evolution had them lose their stinger so they are completely harmless. Black mantas are sighted occasionally on the Kona coast.Commonly they are mistaken as a type of sting ray. Both black and white mantas can be seen together in some locations, however, the white underside coloration is always more dominant. Both Manta birostris and Manta alfredi species have a black coloration. These mantas are predominantly black on their ventral surface with small spots or patches of white. The most extreme difference in manta coloration comes with the “black manta”. These spot patterns are unique to each manta and can be used for accurate identification. Typically, Manta birostris has few spots ventrally with wide gray bands along the back edge of the wings. Manta alfredi has big blotchy spot patterns ventrally located. While the dorsal coloration is relatively similar in mantas worldwide, their ventral side can be very different. Typically, manta rays are black dorsally with white dorsal shoulder bars. Manta alfredi is the species of manta ray that is sighted on the Kona manta ray night tours. The species is widespread in tropical waters and found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Manta birostris is occasionally sighted along the Kona Coast. This species is commonly sighted near shore around coral reefs, often times in residential groups. Manta alfredi is a smaller species that has an average size of 11’ across. They are regularly sighted at offshore islands, oceanic seamounts, and submarine ridge systems. Manta birostris are located in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Manta birostris typically roam the open ocean and are migratory. When furled, these fins were thought to resemble a devil’s horns.īased on a study conducted by Marshall (2009), manta rays are divided into two different species: Manta birostris and Manta alfredi. To make the fins more streamlined, devil rays can roll up these flexible appendages. When unfurled, the fins help to funnel in food and water into the mouth. Devil rays share the common characteristic of cephalic or head fins. Manta rays belong to the family of rays referred to as devil rays, scientifically called Mobulidae. A stingray's mouth is located on the underside of its body whereas the mouth of the manta ray is along the front edge of its body. Stingrays dwell on the ocean bottom, but manta rays live in the open ocean. One of the biggest differences between manta rays and stingrays is that manta rays do NOT have a tail "stinger" or barb like stingrays. Both have flattened body shapes and wide pectoral fins that are fused to the head. They do possess a tooth band that is more like sandpaper along the lower jaw only. Unlike many shark species, manta rays do NOT have sharp teeth. Sharks and rays are grouped together in a sub-class called Elasmobranchii. Sharks and rays are cartilaginous fishes and belong to the scientific classification Chondrichthyes. Like many other open ocean animals, manta rays have countershading coloration - dark on the topside (dorsal side) and light on the underside (ventral side). ![]() Their broad blanket-like bodies earned them the name manta that means cloak or blanket in Spanish. ![]() With a diamond shaped body and wing spans reaching over 20’ across, manta rays are one of the largest animals in the ocean. ![]() ![]() Their side or pectoral fins have evolved into wide triangular wings that they use to easily propel themselves through the water. Manta rays are large sea animals that live in tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate waters worldwide.
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