Family Myliobatidae

Fishbase recognizes 41 species of myliobatid rays in 7 genera. Other authorities raise the mobulinae to family level. The eagle rays have powerful teeth for crushing armored invertebrates while the mantas and mobulas filter zoo plankton from the water. Mantas and mobulas are renowned for their leaping ability and can reach several meters in height. They give birth to between 2 and 6 live young. Mantas and mobulas have cephalic horns which they keep spiralled until they feed whereupon they are unfolded to channel water into the mouth and through the filtering gills. Mantas have the largest brain of any fish and their brain to body ratio rivals that of most mammals.

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Manta birostris Giant manta

Mobula munkiana Smoothtail mobula

CARTFISH 4965 Mobula munkiana Smoothtail mobula, feeding group, Sea of Cortez.

CARTFISH 4771 Mobula munkiana Smoothtail mobula, male leaping out of water to impress females, Sea of Cortez.

CARTFISH 4946 Mobula munkiana Smoothtail mobula feeding, Sea of Cortez.

CARTFISH 4974 Mobula munkiana Smoothtail mobula, Sea of Cortez.

Chordates

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