Devil Ray / Manta Ray ( Manta birostris )
Devil Ray / Manta Ray - Devil Ray / Manta Ray information - Devil Ray / Manta Ray facts
The Devil Ray also known as the Manta Ray is flat and wide ray with enlarged pectoral fins. In front of the head it has got two cephalic lobes. In the mouth there are plenty of teeth located only in the lower jaw. Despite the teeth presence this ray does not need them for eating. Its colour may vary from black to grey.
It measures 30 feet in length with a short tail at the end and is about 22 feet wide. Its weight is up to 300 pounds and its skeleton is made of cartilage only. It is the largest of all the rays. Manta birostris is found all around the world but especially in tropical and temperate regions close to the shores of America and Africa. There it also finds enough food such as plankton, crustaceans, molluscs as well as small fish. The Manta Ray swims very slowly and often leaps out of the water which is a nice acrobatic spectacle.
The rays are sexually mature at the age of 5. There is only a subtle difference between the sexes. The mating process occurs from December till April with gestation lasting over a year. The small young weigh up to 21 pounds and are up to 50 inches wide. Lifespan is 20 years on average.
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