Scientists Uncover Giant Manta Ray Species That Could Hide a Surprise Twice the Size of Your Car Garage
So here’s a mind-boggling tidbit you probably didn’t see coming: until recently, our scientific squad only gave a nod to two types of manta rays—the giant oceanic and the reef manta. But hold onto your snorkels, because now there’s a third contender making waves, officially dubbed the Atlantic manta ray. Imagine that—after ages of thinking we’d checked the whole roster, a new, giant, graceful sea giant pops up, swirling through Atlantic waters like it owns the place. What secrets has this elusive creature been hiding all along? And how did it slip under the radar for 15 years? If you think evolution’s done showing off, think again—this discovery is like finding out your favorite band had a secret album that just dropped. Dive in and get ready to rethink what you know about manta rays. LEARN MORE
Prior to this discovery, scientists only acknowledged two other manta ray species, the giant oceanic manta ray and the reef manta.
Bryant Turffs/Marine Megafauna FoundationThe Atlantic manta ray shares some traits with the other two known species of manta ray.
Scientists have discovered a new species of manta ray — and it’s only the third known in the whole world.
The sea creature was first spotted by conservation biologist Andrea Marshall 15 years ago, but has now officially been declared a new species of manta ray called the Atlantic manta ray. For a long time, scientists only recognized one species, the giant oceanic manta ray. However, a 2009 discovery by Marshall and other experts led to the classification of the reef manta species.
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