At Harbor Breeze Cruises, we’re passionate about educating people who are interested in learning about the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it! In this blog post, we’ll highlight the manta ray and the stingray.
It’s easy to confuse manta rays and stingrays because they look so much alike. Their bodies are flat and roundish and equipped with pectoral fins that they use to propel themselves through the water. Plus, they both have long, tail-like appendages.
Even though the manta ray and stingray are related (both belong to the Chondrichthyes class, which signifies that their skeletons are cartilaginous), their unique characteristics set them apart. By learning nearly every notable difference between manta ray and sting ray, you’ll be able to distinguish them from here on out!
Manta Ray vs Stingray: What Sets Them Apart from Each Other?
Taxonomy-wise, manta rays belong to the family Mobulidae. National Geographic notes that there is only one genus within this family, Mobula, which includes two recognized manta ray species: the giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) and the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi). Stingrays, on the other hand, belong to eight different families, including Dasyatidae (whiptail stingrays), Potamotrygonidae (river stingrays), and Gymnuridae (butterfly rays), just to name a few.
Another important distinction surrounding the manta ray vs. stingray discussion: the manta ray does not have a barb on its tail, which renders it completely harmless. The manta ray defends itself by using its size and speed to swim away from predators. Manta rays are the largest rays on Earth, and they very much use their size and speed to their advantage.
There’s much to be said about the stingray’s lethal barb—it’s venomous, of course, and
across some stingray species, the barbs are serrated (similar to a kitchen knife). Stingrays are prepared to use this weapon when threatened. It’s important to note, however, that while a sting from a stingray can be painful and potentially dangerous, human fatalities from stingray attacks are extremely rare. These marine creatures are not naturally aggressive.
As we mentioned above, manta rays are big—in fact, they are considered one of the largest animals in the ocean. According to National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, “Manta rays can reach an impressive 25 ft. across their wingspans.” As part of the manta ray vs sting ray topic, we must mention that stingrays usually aren’t nearly as big as manta rays; on average, stingrays grow to be around 6 feet long. Most stingray species have a wingspan that ranges from 2 to 6 feet.
Answering the question “What do manta rays eat?” will give us yet another important difference between manta ray and sting ray. Manta rays are regarded as planktivores, which means that they prefer to feast on zooplankton such as krill, shrimp larvae, and fish eggs. They use their cephalic lobes on their head to funnel zooplankton-rich water into their mouths as they swim. Given this information, there’s no doubt that another big difference between manta ray and sting ray has everything to do with how they eat, as stingrays use their teeth and powerful jaws to crush the hard shells of crabs, oysters, mussels, and other similar prey.
Another difference between the manta ray and stingray: their lifespans. Manta rays can live for up to 50 years, while stingrays typically only live for about 25. The manta ray vs stingray lifespan highlights that manta rays tend to live twice as long as stingrays—unfortunately, however, manta rays were listed as threatened in 2018 under the Endangered Species Act due to overfishing and the international market that prizes their gill plates.
Manta Ray Advocates describes the manta ray as “a creature of perpetual motion”—it never stops swimming, and they appear to be such graceful swimmers on account of how they use their fins to keep moving forward like a bird in flight. Stingrays, meanwhile, look as if they are undulating as they swim, and unlike manta rays, they “have the ability to lay still while pushing water over their gills” so they can essentially take a break when they need one.
Set Sail With Harbor Breeze Cruises
Now that we’ve answered the question, “What’s the difference between manta ray and sting ray,” plus answered other questions such as “Which is bigger?” and “What do manta rays eat?” it’s time for us to ask you a question: “What does Harbor Breeze Cruises have in common with both manta rays and stingrays?”
The answer has everything to do with buoyancy. Stingrays and manta rays have cartilaginous skeletons that help them achieve buoyancy. Just like stingrays and manta rays, our eco-friendly catamarans rely on buoyancy to stay afloat as we cruise upon the gorgeous Pacific Ocean.
We hope you’ll join us for a cruise sometime in the near future! You can purchase your tickets online or by calling 562-983-6880. It’d be our pleasure to welcome you aboard and treat you to a breathtaking, relaxing, and exciting whale watching cruise in the beautiful state of California.
