Head to head
Manta Ray vs Blue-spotted Ribbontail Ray
Manta rays and stingrays are both flattened cartilaginous fish, related to sharks, that glide over the seabed or through open water on wing-like fins. But they live very different lives. The manta is a giant, harmless plankton-strainer of the open ocean; most stingrays are smaller bottom-dwellers that hunt shellfish and carry a venomous spine in the tail.
| Manta Ray | Blue-spotted Ribbontail Ray | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | A ray (batoid), a cartilaginous relative of sharks | A ray (batoid), a cartilaginous relative of sharks |
| Size | Wingspan up to about 7 m; among the largest fish | Usually 0.3–2 m across, depending on species |
| Tail | Long and whip-like, with no sting | Bears one or more venomous serrated spines |
| Diet | Zooplankton and tiny fish, filtered from the water | Molluscs, crustaceans, worms, small fish, crushed with flat teeth |
| Where it lives | Open ocean and around reefs, often near the surface | On or buried in sand and mud, from the shore to the deep |
| Feeding | Swims with its mouth open, funnelling plankton with its head fins | Digs and roots in the sediment for buried prey |
| Danger to humans | None; harmless and often curious | A defensive sting if trodden on; painful, occasionally serious |
| Behaviour | Breaches, visits cleaning stations, may recognise itself in a mirror | Secretive; often lies hidden with only the eyes showing |
Manta Ray vs Stingray: common questions
Do manta rays sting?
No. Manta rays have a long, thin tail but no sting or barb on it at all, and no venom. They are filter feeders with tiny teeth and no way or reason to hurt a person. Divers and snorkellers regularly swim close to mantas, which are often curious and unbothered. The animal a manta is most often confused with, and which does sting, is the stingray.
How dangerous is a stingray?
A stingray will not attack, but it defends itself with a venomous spine near the base of the tail, and if a person steps on a buried ray or corners one, it can whip the tail up and drive the spine into a foot, ankle, or leg. The wound is deeply painful, can cause tissue damage and infection, and in rare cases where the spine strikes the chest or abdomen it can be fatal. Shuffling your feet in shallow sandy water lets a hidden ray feel you coming and swim off.
Are manta rays and stingrays related?
Yes, fairly closely. Both belong to the group of flattened cartilaginous fish called rays or batoids, which are cousins of the sharks. Mantas are in the eagle ray family and have taken the ray body plan into open water and giant size as filter feeders, while typical stingrays have stayed small, bottom-dwelling hunters. So they share an ancestor and a basic design but have specialised in opposite directions.