![]() The male uses his teeth to grip the female, turn her over, and begin the mating process. Individuals swim closely together, with the male right behind the female, traveling at speeds of around six miles an hour. As migratory animals, it is difficult for scientists to observe and document the courtship process. Their mating takes place at different times and in different places in a manta ray’s life. They can pass the mirror test, which only a few other species, including dolphins, elephants, and some apes, can pass. Manta rays also have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish. The smaller Manta Alfredi, the reef manta ray, is smaller, at a maximum width of eighteen feet. The largest is Manta Birostris, the giant oceanic manta ray, which can reach up to twenty-three feet in width. The two species are quite different from one another. There are only two known manta ray species. We’ll explore these differences and interesting facts about each marine animal more below. Manta rays, known as gentle giants, do not have a barb, so they typically use their size and speed as a defense to escape predators. Lifestyle: Stingrays are much more aggressive than manta rays, with the ability to sting with their tail.Manta rays are often found in the open ocean, while Stingrays tend to stick to coastal shallows. Habitat: Manta rays and stingrays both live in warm tropical waters throughout the world.Stingrays feed on mollusks, crustaceans, plankton, and sometimes fish. Diet: Manta rays are filter feeders and eat krill, fish eggs, and plankton.Their size and wingspan are some of the most significant differences. Size: Manta rays are much larger than stingrays.Manta rays also do not have teeth, unlike stingrays. The mouth of the manta ray is at the front of its head, whereas stingrays have their mouths under. Appearance: Manta rays have eyes on the side of their heads, whilst stingrays have eyes on top of their body.Here are the top five main differences between a manta ray and a stingray: Main Differences between a Manta ray and Sting ray Aquarium Residentsįour species of stingrays and two species of skates can be found throughout the National Aquarium.Manta ray (left) vs Stingray (right) – Visual Comparison For example, typical freshwater stingrays have relatively short, stout tails that are similar to a skate's tail, and the butterfly ray-a species of marine stingray-has a thin, but exceptionally short, tail.Īnd although thorn-like spikes are typically a telltale sign of skates, the roughtail stingray also sports bony "thorns" on its disc and tail. There are exceptions to the general rule of long-and-thin tails for stingrays and short-and-thick tails for skates. Stingrays are in the order Myliobatiformes skates are in the order Rajiformes. When it comes to their classification within the animal kingdom, both stingrays and skates belong to the class Chondrichthyes-but then they diverge. Skates, on the other hand, have small, pointed teeth, which come in handy for capturing small fish, crustaceans and other prey. Stingray's mouths are typically lined with flat, plate-like teeth that are used for crushing hard-shelled prey such as oysters and clams. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but generally, stingrays are larger than skates. ![]() SizeĪnother clue that can help distinguish these two elasmobranchs is size. These egg cases are sometimes referred to as mermaid's purses. If you've ever come across a rectangular, black, leathery pouch with horns extending from each corner while strolling the beach, you've found a skate egg case. Skates, however, are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. Stingrays are viviparous, which means they give birth to fully formed young. The reproductive strategies of these two elasmobranchs are vastly different. A would-be predator, like a shark or grouper, that spots a skate may think twice about biting down on these thorn-like adornments. These "thorns" aren't venomous like a stingray's spines, but they're also used for protection. ![]() Instead of stinging spines, skates' tails are lined with blunt, thorny projections, which also line skates' backs. Stingrays typically aren't aggressive but will protect themselves when threatened by raising their tails up, piercing the skin of their predators and injecting the venom. These sharp, serrated spines deliver venom into predators-or into the feet of humans that accidentally step on a buried stingray, which can be extremely painful, but rarely fatal. If you take a look at a stingray's tail, you'll find their namesake stinging spines, or barbs, which they use as protection. ![]() oviparous-there are more differences between stingrays and skates than meets the eye.
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