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WoRMS taxon details

Manta birostris (Walbaum, 1792) 
AphiaID: 105857

Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Elasmobranchii (Class) > Neoselachii (Subclass) > Batoidea (Infraclass) > Rajiformes (Order) > Myliobatidae (Family) > Manta (Genus)
Status accepted
Record
status
 Checked by Taxonomic Editor
Rank Species
Parent Manta Bancroft, 1829
Synonymised
taxa
  Brachioptilon hamiltoni Hamilton & Newman, 1849
Cephalopterus manta Bancroft, 1829
Cephalopterus vampyrus Mitchill, 1824
Ceratoptera alfredi Anonymous [Krefft], 1868
Ceratoptera johnii Müller & Henle, 1841
Manta alfredi (Anonymous [Krefft], 1868)
Manta americana Bancroft, 1829
Manta hamiltoni (Hamilton & Newman, 1849)
Raja birostris Walbaum, 1792
Raja manatia Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Sources  basis of record: van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces - Chondrichthyes, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 358-360 (look up in IMIS[details]

basis of record: Anon. (1996). FishBase 96 [CD-ROM]. ICLARM: Los Baņos, Philippines. 1 cd-rom pp. (look up in IMIS[details]

additional source: FishBase, version december 2007 (look up in IMIS[details]

additional source: FishBase, version may 2009 [details]

additional source: Collette, B.B., and G. Klein-MacPhee (eds.). 2002. Bigelow and Schroeder's Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, 3rd edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London. 748 p. [details]

additional source: Florida Museum of Natural History. 2003. Ichthyology Collection Database., available online at http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Collection/collectdata.htm [details]

additional source: Welshman, D., S. Kohler, J. Black and L. Van Guelpen. 2003. An atlas of distributions of Canadian Atlantic fishes. , available online at http://collections.ic.gc.ca/FishAtlas [details]

Vernacular
Names
 
Language   Name 
English Atlantic manta  [details]
English giant manta  [details]
Environment marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
Distribution Chagos [details]
Djibouti [details]
European waters (ERMS scope) [details]
Gulf of Maine [details]
Kenya [details]
Mauritius [details]
Mozambique [details]
North West Atlantic [details]
Reunion [details]
Seychelles [details]
Somalia [details]
South Africa (country) [details]
Links To FishBase
To GenBank
To Marine Species Identification Portal
To Barcode of Life (13 barcodes)
To ITIS
Notes  Description: Mainly oceanic (Ref. 7251) but also encountered in surface or mid-waters of lagoons, shallow muddy bays, off river mouths, and seaward reefs. Occurs singly or in small groups (Ref. 1602). Mainly plankton feeders, but may feed on small and moderate-sized fishes as well (Ref. 9911). Mantas are not aggresive but are dangerous because of their rough skin and huge size which has led to the deaths of deep-sea divers whose airlines have been entangled with these creatures. May be captured by means of the harpon. Leaps out the water every once in a while. [details]

Diet: Feeds mainly on plankton, may consume small fishes  [details]

Distribution: Gulf of Maine to Brazil, and occasionaly further north [details]

Habitat: nektonic [details]

Habitat: Found to depths of 24 m, mainly in nearshore waters, around coral reefs . [details]

Importance: Social - Minor commercial fishery [details]

Predators: Sharks [details]

Reproduction: Internal fertilization; ovoviviparous  [details]
Images 
Manta birostris
Manta birostris
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: not checked

Manta hamiltoni, Carcharhinus albimarginatus, Torpedo torpedo & Mycteroperca tigris
[image from synonym]
Manta hamiltoni, Carcharhinus albimarginatus, Torpedo torpedo & Mycteroperca tigris
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: not checked
Edit
history
 
Date   action   by
2004-12-21 15:54:05 GMT  created  van der Land, Jacob
2008-01-15 17:27:08 GMT  changed  Bailly, Nicolas
  
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  Citation: Bailly, N. (2009). Manta birostris (Walbaum, 1792). In: Nicolas Bailly (2009). World Database of Marine Pisces. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.eu/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=105857 on 2010-02-09
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