Manta Ray

Lore & Background

The name manta is Portuguese and Spanish for mantle (cloak or blanket), a type of blanket-shaped trap traditionally used to catch rays. Mantas are known as 'devilfish' because of their horn-shaped cephalic fins, which are imagined to give them an 'evil' appearance. Mantas evolved from bottom-dwelling stingrays, eventually developing more wing-like pectoral fins. M. birostris still has a vestigial remnant of a sting barb in the form of a caudal spine. The mouths of most rays lie on the underside of the head, while in mantas, they are right at the front.

In Their Own Story

The Red Venom, a huge red spaceship for the Viper Squad that splits into 9 all-terrain vehicles, was hijacked by the Viper Squad under Major Vex during its test runs. They aimed to use it to hijack the MANTA Force ship and colonise New Earth themselves. Later, the Viper Squad and MANTA Force joined forces to fight Mad Karnock and his Karnoid robots. Another threat, the Stenchoids led by Stinkhorn, emerged from the swamps of New Earth, using Stench weapons that excreted a green compound similar to Play-Doh. The toy line included many vehicles and sets, such as the Giant 2-in-1 MANTA Force spaceship housing 10 smaller vehicles, the Black Barracuda which separated into several vehicles including a tank and a Karnoid robot factory, and the Bog Rocket, a purple spaceship that could convert into a fortress for Stinkhorn and his Stenchoids.

Reader's Guide

Mantas are found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. All three species are pelagic; M. birostris and M. yarae migrate across open oceans, singly or in groups, while M. alfredi tends to be resident and coastal. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they gather with their open mouths as they swim. However, research suggests that the majority of their diet comes from mesopelagic sources. Gestation lasts over a year and mantas give birth to live pups. Mantas may visit cleaning stations for the removal of parasites. Like whales, they breach for unknown reasons. M. birostris and M. alfredi are both listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Anthropogenic threats include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and direct harvesting of their gill rakers for use in Chinese medicine. Manta rays are particularly valued for their gill plates, which are traded internationally. Their slow reproductive rate exacerbates these threats. They are protected in international waters by the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, but are more vulnerable closer to shore. Areas where mantas congregate are popular with tourists. Only a few public aquariums are large enough to house them.

Did You Know?

• Manta rays have one of the highest brain-to-body ratios of all fish.
• Individual mantas are recognized by unique dark markings on their white ventral surface.
• A pink manta ray has been observed in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, possibly due to a genetic mutation causing erythrism.
• Mantas evolved from bottom-dwelling stingrays and still have a vestigial remnant of a sting barb in M. birostris.