Species: Mobula species A, Caribbean Manta

Mobula species A

Caribbean Manta

Head relatively wide, projecting with a pair of paddle-like extensions; large triangular "wings" (pectoral fin flaps); mouth at front of head, relatively wide; teeth in lower jaw only, those in a band that spans 77% of width of jaw, in 9-11 rows; tail long and whip-like, with a spine largely encased in a calcified mass; skin of top and bottom of disc without longitudinal ridges, densely embedded with non-overlapping, non-uniformly distributed small knob-like denticles, denticles on lower surface slightly larger.

Black above; mouth whitish to cream; with or without whitish patches on shoulders, if present those patches oval & with a short rear facing hook on outer front side, front edge of shoulder patch runs from spiracle to a line parallel to edge of top jaw; underside white, with dark grey to black spots and patches on rear of pectoral fins, behind last gill slits, no spots centrally between gill slits, 0-2 small semicircular black spots behind last gill slits, rear of pectoral fin dark along outer half or all of fin edge

Size: to at least 5 m disc width.

Habitat: inshore and nearshore pelagic.

Depth: 0-200 m?

North Carolina through the Caribbean.