Kingdom : Animalia Class : Mammalia Family : Cercopithecidae Scientific Name : Mandrillus Sphinx Size : 56 - 81cm (22 - 32in) Weight : 11.5 - 30kg (25 - 60lbs) Top Speed : 40km/h (25mph) Life Span : 20 - 28 years Colour : Black, Brown, Grey, White, Tan Skin Type : Fur Special Features : Brightly coloured snout and long, sharp teeth
- Manta Ray are the largest species of ray in the world.
- They grow to an average length of 6m-9m.
- They are a species of flattened fish which are closely related to sharks and other cartilaginous fish.
- They inhabit the warmer waters around the coral reefs and the continental shelves around the world’s oceans.
- They are also commonly found hunting in the open ocean, gracefully swimming and feeding themselves.
- They are also quite acrobatic, aided by their short tail, and are known to leap out of water.
- Interestingly, the Manta ray gets cleaned of parasites and dead tissues on its body as small fish swim over them.
- They forgo eating such small fish as they provide them with extraordinary service.
- Though large in size, the manta ray is known to have a docile nature.
- Their natural predators are the great white shark, the killer whales and the humans.
- They do not have teeth but have rows to tiny plates which help them filter feed on small crustaceans, fish and plankton.
- The female Manta ray lays two eggs which develop and hatch inside her body and then gives birth to pups within 6 weeks.
- The manta ray pups very quickly develop into adults.
- Due to increase in fishing and levels of water pollution the manta ray is a species that is nearly threatened from extinction.