Reef Manta Ray
Mobula alfredi
Sighting evidence at Makena Manta Night Dive, Maui
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Makena hosts a small but stable resident population of reef mantas that are individually identified by researchers using their unique ventral spot patterns — some individuals have been documented at this site for more than 15 consecutive years. Mantas are filter feeders with the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish, and the night-feeding behaviour at Makena is a learned cultural tradition passed among local individuals rather than an instinctive response.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Reef Manta Ray is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.