The Giant Manta Ray Has a Wingspan of Up to 26 Feet

The giant manta ray earns its name. NOAA Fisheries states that it is the world’s largest ray, with a wingspan of up to 26 feet. For all that size it eats very small things. Giant manta rays are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton. NOAA Fisheries describes them as slow-growing, migratory animals whose visits to coastlines and island groups seem to follow the movement of zooplankton, among other things. Their populations are small, highly fragmented and sparsely distributed across the world. Reproduction is slow, too. Manta rays typically give birth to only one pup every two to three years, among the lowest rates of all the cartilaginous fish in their group. In 2018, NOAA Fisheries listed the giant manta ray as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.