Giant oceanic manta ray

The giant oceanic manta ray, giant manta ray, or oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae, and the largest type of ray in the world. It is circumglobal and is typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, but can also be found in temperate waters. Until 2017, the species was classified in the genus Manta, along with the smaller reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi). DNA testing revealed that both species are more closely related to rays of the genus Mobula than previously thought. As a result, the giant manta was renamed as Mobula birostris to reflect the new classification.

Giant oceanic manta ray
Temporal range: Early Miocene to Present
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Mobulidae
Genus: Mobula
Species:
M. birostris
Binomial name
Mobula birostris
(Walbaum, 1792)
Range of the giant oceanic manta ray
Synonyms
  • Manta hamiltoni (Hamilton & Newman, 1849)
  • Manta ehrenbergii (Müller & Henle, 1841)
  • Raja birostris Walbaum, 1792
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