Anatomy

The pectoral fins of mantas are often referred to as "wings". The pectoral fins are flat on the bottom and slightly rounded on top, making them hydrodynamic and create lift. These characteristics enable mantas to make minor adjustments to alter their direction in the water. They can glide over long distances with little effort or make rapid movements as they dart quickly around the reef.

Manta rays are unique in many ways including their vision. Studies suggest that manta rays have excellent vision, and are even able to recognize themselves in a mirror! This "mirror test" suggest both superior vision and intelligence (learn more here). Their eyes are located on the side of their head giving them the ability to see above and below their bodies. Though researchers now know mantas do have great vision, there is still so much to learn about mantas eyesight!

Dark spots on the ventral side of a manta are called "ventral spots" and they are unchanging after a manta reaches adulthood. Because of this, ventral spots are used to identify individual mantas. There have been over 300 mantas identified in Kona so far, with some being seen regularly for decades! Learn more about manta identification here!

Ventral shading is different from ventral spots. Shading is a darkened area on the manta that can change over time so it is not used to identify individuals like ventral spots. New research suggests that mantas can change color quickly, too! Both ventral shading and coloration on the dorsal side of their bodies. Learn more about coloration studies here!

Cephalic fins, also called cephalic horns, are appendages on both sides of a mantas mouth. They are folded as mantas swim, giving the appearance of horns. This characteristic is why the family mantas are part of, Mobulidae, is known as the "devil rays". Though folded as they swim, the cephalic fins unfurl when mantas eat, as seen in the image below, and are used to help guide plankton in the mouth.

Mantas keep their mouths closed as they swim, with their cephalic fins folded in. When they eat, however, the cephalic fins unfold and they open their mouths to up to 2(?) feet wide. Though their mouths open wide, they only eat plankton, some of the smallest animals in the ocean! With specially designed mouths, gills rakers, and gill arches, mantas can consume large a months of plankton and expel fish or larger items that may be accidentally pulled in.

Inside a mantas mouth, there are gill rakers and gill arches. The rakers are highly sought after, as they are believed to be medicinal in some cultures. This demand has contributed significantly to the decline in global manta populations, leading them to be protected under CITES (learn more about CITES here). The arches keep mantas mouth open while feeding, while the rakers "rake" plankton from the water and funnel it to the esophagus. The water then runs through the gill rakers, where oxygen is pulled from the water to oxygenate the blood. The water then leaves through the gill slits on the ventral side of the manta.

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