Manta Ray Presentation (2012)

Manta Rays
What are Manta Rays?
Cartilaginous Elasmobranch Fish
• 1050 Species
- 500 Species of Sharks
- 550 Species of Rays
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400 Million Years Old
Skeleton Made of Cartilage
Internal Reproduction
5-7 Gill Slits
160 million
year old
Blanket Ray
370 million year old
shark called
Cladoselache
Great
White
Shark
Rays of the World
Huge variety and
abundance of species
260
Skates
45
Guitarfishes
180
Stingrays
Majority are
bottom dwellers
with broad
flattened bodies
Spotted Eagle Ray
A few species took to the open water
70 Electric Rays
Manta & Mobula Rays
11 species in
the Mobulidae
sub-family
Sickle-fin Mobula
Ray
Reef Manta Ray
All are filter
feeders with
forward facing
mouths
Smooth-tail
Mobula Ray
First appeared in the fossil
record only 20 million years ago
Oceanic Manta
Ray
Species Identification
Reef Resident Manta Ray
Giant Oceanic Manta Ray
Manta Facts
Global Distribution
Largest Ever Recorded Manta:
Width = 6.8m (22ft) & Weight = 2,000kg
A 6m Giant Manta Ray caught
in 1933 off New Jersey, USA
Two Colour Morphs:
Black Vs Chevron
Manta Feeding
Huge mouths and gills filter out the
tiny planktonic animals from the water
Chain Feeding
Planktonic Mysid
Shrimp
Mass Feeding
Manta Cleaning
A manta opens its mouth
wide for the dentist
Cleaner
Wrasse
A group of manta
rays hover over the
cleaning station
Manta Predators
Orca or
Killer Whale
Tiger
Shark
Shark Bite Injuries
Wound Healing
Sexual Dimorphism
Immature
Male
Mature
Male
Larger Female
Manta Mating
Mating Train
Copulation
Manta Birthing
Females give birth to just one
(1.5m), fully independent pup
after a year long pregnancy
A heavily pregnant female
visits a cleaning station
Unborn
Manta Pup
Manta
Teeth
Female’s Mating
Scars
Threats to Manta Rays
By-Catch
Gill Nets
Shark
Fishing Nets
Mooring Buoys
Tuna PurseSeine Net
Fisheries
Gill Nets
Manta Fisheries
Africa
Mexico
Manta & Mobula Ray fisheries
around the world are decimating
populations
Sri Lanka
Indonesia
Gill Rakers
WHY?? New demand from Asia for the mantas dried
gill rakers used in traditional medicines
Global Protection
Manta Rays are listed as
“Vulnerable” by the World
Conservation Union
Some countries have taken their
own steps to protect Manta Rays
In Hawaii Manta Rays are protected
by state law & in the Maldives there
is an export ban on all rays which
prevents any form of commercial
fisheries
Through tourism, Manta
Rays generate US$8.1
million in direct revenue
for the Maldivian economy
each year
The Manta Trust
www.mantatrust.org
Conservation through Research, Awareness and Education
UK Registered Charity Number: (1145387)
Our Vision:
A world where manta rays thrive within a globally
healthy marine ecosystem.
Our Mission:
The Manta Trust works to advance the worldwide
conservation of manta rays and their habitat through
robust science and research, raising awareness,
providing education, influence and action.
Projects:
Currently the Manta Trust has projects in the Maldives,
Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Hawaii, Fiji, The
Mariana Islands & The Line Islands.
Thank You!