Poles & OceansEndangered
Giant manta ray
Mobula birostris
A giant ray that 'flies' through the ocean on wing-like fins.
- Weight
- Up to 2,000 kg
- Size
- Up to 7 m wide
- Lifespan
- About 45 years
- Top speed
- About 24 km/h
- Diet
- Plankton
How heavy is that?
As heavy as 50 kids (40 kg each)
Where it lives
Three things to know
- It has the biggest brain for its size of any fish.
- It can leap right out of the water.
- It visits 'cleaning stations' where small fish pick it clean.
Compare with…
- Weight
- Giant manta ray2,000 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe giant manta ray weighs about 50× as much as the kid
- Size
- Giant manta ray7 mA 10-year-old kid1.4 mThe giant manta ray is about 5× as big as the kid
- Top speed
- Giant manta ray24 km/hA 10-year-old kid20 km/hThe giant manta ray is about 1.2× as fast as the kid
- Lifespan
- Giant manta ray45 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 1.8× as long as the giant manta ray
