![]() ( Kitchen-Wheeler, 2010 Marshall and Bennett, 2010 Marshall, et al., 2009) The only external way to distinguish an adult female from a juvenile is by the presence of mating scars on the pectoral fins. Juvenile males have claspers that do not extend past their pelvic fins and which are minimally calcified. Males possess two claspers, which extend from their pelvic fins. Females are larger than males and can be identified by a simple cloaca located between their ventral fins, as well as the presence of mating scars on the pectoral fins. It is hypothesized that they have retained teeth for mating purposes, particularly as males have more pronounced teeth than females. They have a total of 918-1456 small, cusped teeth, which are each 1-2 mm in length. Both the dorsal and ventral surfaces are covered in knob-like denticles, which are evenly distributed ventral denticles are larger. A diagnostic feature of their coloration is the presence of light colored patches on the shoulder region, contrasting with the overall dark dorsal surface. They are black in color dorsally and cream or white colored ventrally. Reef manta rays have a slender tail, with no distinct caudal spine. This is much smaller than giant manta rays ( Manta birostris), a closely related species, which seldom measure smaller than 550 cm at maturity. The largest recorded specimen measured 550 cm in width. Their central body disc is approximately two times longer than it is broad, with an average width of approximately 390 cm for adult females and 300 cm for adult males. Reef manta rays have wing-like pectoral fins and cephalic fin tips, or horns, that wrap around the mouth. While it is known that they tend to avoid deep or open waters, the exact depth range in which they can be found is uncertain. They are often sighted near coral and rocky reefs in atolls and bays, likely due to the high densities of zooplankton associated with these areas. Reef manta rays are a marine species found in inshore habitats (within a few kilometers of land) in tropical and subtropical latitudes. Although they have been found in the Atlantic Ocean, such sightings are rare. Reef manta rays are found primarily in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, including coastal waters surrounding Australia, Japan, South Africa, Thailand and Hawaii, as well as the Red Sea. ![]()
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