CreatureData

Giant oceanic manta ray

Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792)

ENEndangeredsharks and rays

The giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is a species in the family Myliobatidae, order Myliobatiformes. It has been recorded in 49 countries, most often in Ecuador, United States and Peru. Its IUCN Red List status is Endangered.

Giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris)
Photo: jon hanson from london, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the giant oceanic manta ray

Weight
Not recorded
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
Not recorded
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Recorded in
49 countriessrc for Recorded in

Where does the giant oceanic manta ray live?

Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF. This shows where the species has been recorded, including zoos and introduced populations. It is not a definitive range.

The giant oceanic manta ray has been recorded in 49 countries, from 2,363 records.

Canada: 1 recordUnited States of America: 275 recordsIndonesia: 56 recordsSudan: 1 recordFr. S. Antarctic Lands: 2 recordsSouth Africa: 18 recordsMexico: 134 recordsBrazil: 55 recordsPeru: 208 recordsColombia: 5 recordsPanama: 13 recordsCosta Rica: 27 recordsBelize: 2 recordsFrance: 3 recordsEcuador: 1,185 recordsSenegal: 1 recordGuinea: 3 recordsMozambique: 26 recordsThailand: 4 recordsMyanmar: 3 recordsIndia: 7 recordsPortugal: 1 recordSpain: 2 recordsNew Caledonia: 10 recordsNew Zealand: 11 recordsAustralia: 20 recordsTaiwan: 5 recordsUnited Kingdom: 1 recordPhilippines: 33 recordsCzechia: 1 recordJapan: 14 recordsYemen: 1 recordEgypt: 6 records
  • None on record
  • 1–9
  • 10–99
  • 100–999
  • 1,000+
records per country · small islands are not drawn at this scale

The same figures as a list, most records first

  1. Ecuador1,185
  2. United States275
  3. Peru208
  4. Mexico134
  5. French Guiana118
  6. Indonesia56
  7. Brazil55
  8. French Polynesia33
  9. Philippines33
  10. Costa Rica27
  11. Mozambique26
  12. Australia20
  13. Seychelles20
  14. South Africa18
  15. Japan14
  16. Panama13
  17. Maldives11
  18. New Zealand11
  19. New Caledonia10
  20. Micronesia7
  21. India7
  22. Mauritius7
  23. Egypt6
  24. Réunion6
  25. Colombia5
  26. Taiwan5
  27. Guadeloupe4
  28. Kiribati4
  29. Palau4
  30. Thailand4
  31. Mayotte4
  32. St. Barthélemy3
  33. France3
  34. Guinea3
  35. St. Martin3
  36. Myanmar (Burma)3
  37. Wallis & Futuna3
  38. Belize2
  39. Spain2
  40. French Southern Territories2
Show 9 more countries
  1. Canada1
  2. Cape Verde1
  3. Czechia1
  4. United Kingdom1
  5. Marshall Islands1
  6. Portugal1
  7. Sudan1
  8. Senegal1
  9. Yemen1

What is the giant oceanic manta ray?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The giant oceanic manta ray, giant manta ray, oceanic manta ray, or pelagic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae and the largest type of ray in the world. It is circumglobal and is typically found in tropical and subtropical waters but can also be found in temperate waters. Until 2017, the species was classified in the genus Manta, along with the smaller reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi). DNA testing revealed that both mantas are closer related to some Mobula species than these are to other Mobula, being claded together. As a result, the two Manta species were absorbed into Mobula to reflect the new classification.

Wikipedia contributors, “Giant oceanic manta ray”, Wikipedia (revision 1384755103), retrieved 2026-11-11. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0; this block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the giant oceanic manta ray endangered?

The giant oceanic manta ray is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List: it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Endangered species.

How is the giant oceanic manta ray classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classElasmobranchii
  4. orderMyliobatiformes
  5. familyMyliobatidae
  6. genusMobula
  7. SpeciesMobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792)

Synonyms Brachioptilon hamiltoni, Cephaloptera stelligera, Cephalopterus manta, Cephalopterus vampyrus, Ceratoptera alfredi, Ceratoptera ehrenbergi, Ceratoptera johnii, Manta americana, Manta birostris, Manta brevirostris, Manta ehrenbergii, Manta hamiltoni, Manta raya, Raja birostris, Raja manatia

Names in other languages (22)
  • Raie manta océaniqueFrench
  • RiesenmantaGerman
  • Manta birostrisSpanish
  • jamantaPortuguese
  • Manta birostrisItalian
  • reuzenmantaDutch
  • mantaSwedish
  • オニイトマキエイJapanese
  • 双吻前口蝠鲼Chinese
  • ओशनिक मंटा रेHindi
  • мантаRussian
  • Giant manta rayEnglish
  • MantarrayaSpanish
  • Manta GiganteSpanish
  • Chevron manta rayEnglish
  • Oceanic manta rayEnglish
  • Pacific manta rayEnglish
  • Pelagic manta rayEnglish
  • 雙吻前口蝠鱝Chinese
  • 鬼蝠魟Chinese
  • 飛魴仔Chinese
  • 鷹魴Chinese

GBIFWikidataWikipediaNCBI TaxonomyiNaturalistWoRMS

Relatives of the giant oceanic manta ray

Other species in the same class Elasmobranchii.

CompareGiant oceanic manta ray vs Great white sharkGiant oceanic manta ray vs Whale shark

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

Where does the giant oceanic manta ray live?

The giant oceanic manta ray has openly licensed sighting records from 49 countries on GBIF. The most records come from Ecuador, United States, Peru, Mexico and French Guiana. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

Is the giant oceanic manta ray endangered?

The giant oceanic manta ray is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

What kind of animal is the giant oceanic manta ray?

The giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) belongs to the family Myliobatidae in the order Myliobatiformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-oceanic-manta-ray

MLA

“Giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-oceanic-manta-ray.

BibTeX
@misc{giant_oceanic_manta_ray_2026,
  title = {Giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-oceanic-manta-ray},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}