Giant oceanic manta ray
Mobula birostris
Recently reclassified: formerly Manta birostris; moved to Mobula in 2018.
- English
- Giant oceanic manta ray
- Scientific
- Mobula birostris
- Dhivehi
- En madi
- Group
- Rays
- Maximum size
- Disc width commonly 4.5 m; up to about 7 m (FishBase cites 9.1 m)
- Depth and habitat
- Open ocean and outer atoll edges, surface to over 1,000 m
- IUCN status
- EN · EndangeredEndangered (EN), assessed 2019CITES Appendix II
Description
The largest ray in the world. It differs from the reef manta in its black-and-white T-shaped shoulder markings, dark spotting confined to the belly centre, a dark mouth and a grey-edged belly. It spends more time in the open ocean, diving deep and visiting coastal reefs and upwellings to feed and be cleaned. Like the reef manta it has a very low reproductive rate.
In the Maldives
Much rarer than the reef manta in the Maldives; most sightings come from the south, notably Fuvahmulah, and researchers have now photo-identified more than 1,000 individuals in Maldivian waters. Protected with all rays since 2014.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Mobula-birostris.html
- fishbase.se /comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=2061&GenusName=Mobula&SpeciesName=bir
- saveourseas.com /update/all-ray-species-now-protected-in-the-maldives/
- discoverwildlife.com /animal-facts/marine-animals/1000th-oceanic-manta-ray-seen-in-the-mald
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Giant_oceanic_manta_ray.jpg
Dhivehi name source: FishBase common names (country: Maldives) (Latin only; applies to mantas generally, see reef manta). No sourced Thaana spelling found.