Manta Ray
Mobula alfredi
Sighting evidence at Nosy Mitsio, Nosy Be
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Reef manta rays visit the cleaning stations on Nosy Mitsio's exposed pinnacles May through October, circling in stacked queues as wrasses and angelfish remove parasites from their gills and skin. With a wingspan reaching 5 metres, reef mantas are the smaller of the two manta species — distinguished from oceanic mantas by shoulder patches rather than uniform dark backs. Individual rays are identified by researchers via unique ventral spot patterns and contribute to a population tracked across the western Indian Ocean.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Manta Ray is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.