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The valuable trade of their gill plates has led to increased demand for giant manta rays, and some fisheries have begun targeting them, where they were once only captured incidentally. Giant manta rays are among the least productive species of rays in terms of their reproductive output, and it is estimated that a single female may only produce 4-7 offspring in its lifetime. In the western Central Atlantic Ocean, we found that their preferred habitats are mostly coastal in areas of high primary productivity, such as river outflows. Of the two recognized species of manta, the smaller reef mantas often school in large numbers and are most commonly found on inshore reefs in the Indian Ocean. This apparatus allows larger particles to ricochet away from the gills into the stomach and resists clogging of unwanted items. Particularly large individuals can be over 7m (23ft) in width.
Biggest manta ray full#
Mantas use a highly specialized filter-feeding apparatus that filters plankton from seawater as they swim. The giant oceanic manta ray is the worlds largest species of ray. New legislation gives full protection to the creatures across all the waters surrounding Southeast Asias biggest country, which for years has been the worlds largest ray and shark fishery. Indonesia became home to the worlds biggest manta ray sanctuary as it seeks to draw more tourists to. They are often found concurrently with whale shark aggregations, as both species feed on the highly concentrated zooplankton produced by fish and invertebrate spawning events. A manta ray swims in the waters of Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesias remote Papua province. Highly intelligent and social creatures, giant manta rays in some regions spend their days in large groups and at cleaning stations in shallow waters and then move into deeper waters at night to feed.