Giant Oceanic Manta Rayオニイトマキエイ
Mobula birostrisEN— Endangered
The giant oceanic manta ray is among the largest living rays, with a disc width typically around 4.5 meters and exceptional individuals exceeding 7 meters. Found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide, it filter-feeds on plankton and small fish while swimming with its mouth agape, and it possesses the largest brain of any fish. Slow to reproduce and heavily targeted for its gill rakers, it is classified as Endangered.
Giant Oceanic Manta Ray (reference photo)
Species Data
Did You Know?
- It has the largest brain of any fish, weighing up to about 200 g—five to ten times larger than a whale shark's—and a 2016 study observed behavior in front of a mirror suggestive of possible self-recognition. Source
- It is ovoviviparous with a gestation period of about 13 months, typically producing just one or two pups at a time, and females breed only once every two to three years, making population recovery extremely slow. Source
Where to See This Species
1 facilities · 0 individuals
沖縄美ら海水族館 (Okinawachuraumi Suizokukan)OkinawaOpened in 2002
世界で唯一オニイトマキエイを展示する水族館。近縁種のナンヨウマンタも複数飼育。 Source
Conservation Story
Conservation Status
IUCNで絶滅危惧種(EN)に分類され、ワシントン条約(CITES)附属書IIに掲載されている。日本の環境省レッドリストでは情報不足(DD)とされる。
Habitat
熱帯・亜熱帯から温帯にかけての外洋・沿岸海域に広く分布し、サンゴ礁周辺にも現れる。
Threats
- 伝統中国医学向けに高値で取引されるエラ耙を狙った漁獲
- 刺し網など漁具への混獲
- マイクロプラスチックの誤飲や重金属の生体蓄積
- 船舶との衝突や沿岸開発、海洋汚染
Conservation & Breeding Efforts
- ワシントン条約(CITES)附属書IIによる国際取引の規制
- ニュージーランド自然保護局による「海外で絶滅危惧」種指定(2018年)
Sources
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FAQ
- Why is the giant oceanic manta ray endangered?
- It reproduces very slowly, with females typically giving birth to just one pup every two to three years after a 12-13 month gestation, while facing heavy fishing pressure for its gill rakers, which are valued in traditional Chinese medicine, along with gillnet entanglement and pollution. Source
- How intelligent is the giant oceanic manta ray?
- It has the largest brain of any fish, weighing up to 200 grams—five to ten times larger than a whale shark's—and a 2016 study found it showed behavior in front of a mirror suggestive of possible self-recognition. Source
Source: churaumi.okinawa www.iucnredlist.org