CreatureData

Giant oceanic manta ray vs Great white shark

They share the class Elasmobranchii but sit in different orders: Giant oceanic manta ray in Myliobatiformes, Great white shark in Lamniformes.

Giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris)
Giant oceanic manta ray ENEndangered
Photo: jon hanson from london, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Great white shark VUVulnerable
Photo: Sharkdiver.com · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

What is the difference between a giant oceanic manta ray and a great white shark?

Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.

  • They share the class Elasmobranchii but sit in different orders: Giant oceanic manta ray in Myliobatiformes, Great white shark in Lamniformes.
  • The giant oceanic manta ray is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List; the great white shark is Vulnerable.
  • They have been recorded in 23 of the same countries (the giant oceanic manta ray in 49 in total, the great white shark in 42). Shared records include zoos, so this does not mean they meet in the wild.

Side by side

Giant oceanic manta rayGreat white shark
Scientific nameMobula birostrisCarcharodon carcharias
FamilyMyliobatidaeLamnidae
OrderMyliobatiformesLamniformes
WeightNot recorded1.09 t
LengthNot recordedNot recorded
LifespanNot recorded73 years
Main foodNot recordedfish, Teuthida, seabird, sea turtle, Pinnipedia, dolphin and 46 more
HabitatNot recordedNot recorded
Conservation statusEndangeredVulnerable
Countries recorded4942

Full record: Giant oceanic manta rayFull record: Great white sharkCompare other animals