SAVING OCEAN GIANTS.
MANTA
RAYS.
The ocean's largest rays — curious, long-lived, and threatened. We described all three species, and we work to protect them.
The three manta species
Oceanic manta ray
Mobula birostris · Endangered
The giant of the family — about 7 meters (23 ft) across, roaming the open ocean and feeding deep into the twilight zone.
Reef manta ray
Mobula alfredi · Vulnerable
The coastal manta — typically 3 to 4.5 meters across, faithful to favorite reefs, cleaning stations, and feeding sites for decades.
Atlantic manta ray
Mobula yarae · Newly described (2025)
The newest manta — formally described in 2025, with the type specimen contributed by our Florida Manta Project.
All three species were described by MMF co-founder Dr Andrea Marshall — the reef manta and oceanic manta in her landmark 2009 study, and the Atlantic manta, which she first flagged in that same paper, formally in 2025. Start with our manta ray facts, or go deeper inThe Complete Guide to Manta Rays.
Latest manta ray publications
2026
- Underwater ultrasonography confirms pregnancy and identifies developmental stages in free-swimming oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris)
- Acoustic telemetry reveals cross-border movements and conservation opportunities for reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in southern Africa
- Closing the gaps: Integrating biological, ecological and taxonomic data to support the identification and conservation of the Atlantic pygmy devil ray (Mobula hypostoma)
- Hiding in plain sight: evidence of Echeneidae cloacal and gill diving behavior in manta ray hosts
- Movement ecology of the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) in southern Africa: multi-scale habitat use and implications for regional and transboundary conservation
2025
PROTECT THE OCEAN'S LARGEST RAYS.
Your support funds the photo-identification, tracking, and policy work behind manta ray protection in Mozambique, Florida, and Indonesia.