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It’s wing like fins on both sides of its body allow it so gracefully glide through the water and above reefs with ease. unlike is cousin the sting ray, manta rays have grown wing like pectoral fins on both sides of its body. So the manta rays really fly through the water.
Manta Rays have huge mouths that can consume large amounts of food at a time. Manta consume on average thirteen percent of there body weight which means that they need a large mouth to get the amount of food they need to survive.
The big flaps on both sides of its mouth is helps guide the food into its mouth. This help it survive in the water because it has no arms or claws to capture prey. When its fins are down (like in the picture) it is going to eat.
Manta rays go to "cleaning stations" on coral reefs to rid themselves of crustations and external parasites. Like barnacles. At these cleaning stations cleaner fish pick off and eat the attached parasites. While butterfly fish take care of their bite marks.
Like most sea animals Manta rays have gills which help them breath in the so they can eat and breath at the same time. Therefore making its life easier, and making less prone to choking.
Manta ray population is roughly estimated to be about more that 300,000 world wide. Manta rays will usually group up when they cross paths and get into groups of about 50 in open water. But when they are in shallow water they travel alone so they can get as much food as possible because there are more plankton in deep waters than shallow waters. But there is more plant life in shallow waters. Which is why they go to shallow water to feed.