Individuals estimated to be between 200-790 cm disc width have been reported from New Zealand waters. The largest accurately measured giant manta ray was 670 cm disc width (wing tip-to-wing tip) but they are reported to reach 910 cm disc width. Reef and giant mantas regularly use cleaner stations on coral reefs where reef fishes like damsel and butterfly fishes pick these parasites off them. Manta rays are host to a variety of external parasites. The reason manta rays do this is unknown, but it may be to remove parasites or sucker fish (remora). Manta rays sometimes jump out of the water. Size at birth is 122-190 cm disc width, and we suspect gestation to be over a year. Life historyįemale manta rays give birth to single pups.
#Giant manta ray caught Patch
They often swim in repeated backward loops or ‘somersaults’ to remain in a dense patch of plankton. These filter plates are attached to the arches of their gills. Giant manta rays trap zooplankton on their distinctive filter plates and periodically swallow. To eat, they use the large fins on either side of their head to funnel water containing these tiny organisms into their mouths. Little is known of the diet of giant manta rays in New Zealand, although they are often seen feeding on dense patches of zooplankton. Very little is known of manta ray movements and habitat use in New Zealand, although the lack of sightings during winter suggests they move offshore, possibly to the north of New Zealand at that time. The distribution of reported sightings off the northeast coast closely matches the course of the East Auckland Current. It’s been recorded off east and west coasts of the upper North Island, mainly from spring to early autumn. The giant manta is the only manta ray recorded from New Zealand. More recent research suggests there is a third species in the Northwest Atlantic. However, in 2009 two species were recognised: the giant or oceanic manta, and the reef manta.īoth species are globally distributed. Researchers once thought there was only a single globally distributed species of manta ray. Although they spend most of their time swimming, they sometimes rest on the bottom. They live in shallow water close to shore and in the open ocean. Manta rays occur in open water, in tropical and some warm temperate regions of the world. More about this species Range and habitat Several species of devil ray have a white tip to the dorsal fin, whereas the manta ray’s dorsal fin is all black. Reef mantas’ shoulder markings form a v-shape Giant mantas’ shoulder markings form a t-shape
But the giant manta has a large swelling at the base of the tail close to the dorsal fin where a sting is buried in. Manta rays do not have a functional barb or sting on their tail. This has given rise to their alternative common name of ‘devilfish’. While rolled up, giant manta rays' cephalic fins resemble horns. They use these for feeding, and roll them up to improve swimming efficiency when not in use. Giant manta rays have diamond-shaped bodies and two large muscular fins that protrude forward from the head either side of their mouth. But divers have occasionally been towed through the water at high speeds when mantas have become accidentally tangled in their float lines.
They can also beat them in opposite directions – one up, one down.Īlthough once thought to migrate seasonally to the waters around northern New Zealand, research on other populations in the Indo-Pacific region suggests that the giant manta seen in our waters during spring and summer each year may be resident in this part of the southwest Pacific. Giant manta rays ( Mobula birostris) have huge, diamond shaped bodies and swim by beating their ‘wings’ up and down together.
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