However, compared to today’s giant manta rays it would be quite small, measuring only 6 feet long. The unique prehistoric fish has long wings like a ray, but the body of a shark. Interesting, about 95 million years ago there was a species known as the “eagle shark” that combined aspects of sharks and rays. This means today’s giant oceanic manta rays could be the largest species to ever swim in the world’s oceans! So, were ancient manta rays giants that could reach 50 feet across? While rays have been around since the Jurassic Period (150 million years ago), there’s no evidence of past rays that are larger than today’s giants. For example, while the largest sea turtle today weighed up to 2,019 pounds, ancient sea turtles weighed 2.5 times as much! The largest great white shark ever recorded weighs about 5,000 pounds, but Megalodon may have weighed 20 to 50 times more! Many of the largest species today had relatives that actually dwarfed them. Jon hanson / Creative Commons Were Ancient Rays Even Larger? Caught by Captain Khan, a New York silk merchant, in 1933 off the coast of New Jersey, the massive manta ray became tangled in the anchor line of his boat while he was fishing and towed him five miles over three hours while he feared his boat would capsize. No weight was recorded for this record breaker, but the heaviest manta ray recorded was a female in 1933 who weighed in at around 5,000 pounds.ĭespite her super-sized weight, the female giant manta ray only reached a relatively small 20 foot wingspan. Recorded in 1920, this huge manta ray even made it into the Guinness World Records as the largest manta ray ever recorded. Haveseen/ The Largest Manta Ray Ever RecordedĪlthough manta rays have an average wingspan of 23 feet, the largest manta ray ever recorded was much larger and reached a whopping 30 feet. Manta rays are filter feeders and take in great mouthfuls of food and water In deeper waters, manta rays have often been seen diving to depths of around 2,000 feet, but have been known to go much deeper on occasions, with their powerful wings propelling them through the water. Ecuador currently has the largest individual population of manta rays with around 650 having been identified there. Reef manta rays are mainly found in the Indo-Pacific ocean while the giant manta rays frequent the seas all the way around the equator. Manta rays are usually found in tropical and subtropical waters and are migratory animals that largely follow where the food is. In fact, manta rays are actually extremely gentle and friendly creatures that are not harmful at all. Although these huge rays are often mistaken for stingrays, they don’t have a barb on their tail and so can’t sting. Both species have the typical manta ray coloring of black on their back and white on their bellies but giant manta rays have black mouths while reef manta rays have white mouths. The giant manta ray is the larger of the two. There are two species of manta ray: the reef manta ray (manta alfredi) and the giant manta ray (manta birostris).
Not only that, but manta rays actually have the largest brains out of all the fish in the world.īut just how big can manta rays get? We’ll dive into the largest manta ray ever recorded and what size ancient manta rays may have reached! The Background on Manta RaysĪs well as their distinctive shape and massive wings, manta rays can easily be distinguished by their wide mouths and “horns” that are actually called cephalic fins or lobes and are used for channeling water and food into their mouths while they are feeding. Also known as birds of the sea, these huge fish have an average wingspan of 23 feet and a weight of about 4,500 pounds. With a diamond-shaped appearance and huge fins that look like wings, manta rays glide through the water with an ease that belies their size. Of all the fish in the sea, manta rays have got to be amongst the most graceful and breathtaking creatures. The 5 Healthiest Vegetables Dogs Can Eat…
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