Beebe’s White-Banded Manta

Beebe’s White-Banded Manta (Manta beebei) or simply Beebe's Manta, is a species of large ocean-going Mobula Ray closely related to the Giant Oceanic Manta and Reef Manta.

Description

The White-banded Manta has a wingspan of over 10ft, and a skin color that appears dark brown and is faintly mottled. Their bodies are almost a diamond like shape, and they have a shorter tail than most other known manta rays. The cephalic horns hang straight, rather than curve inward like other ray species. The most defining characteristic though are the pair of “brilliantly pure white” v-shaped bands that extended down the back from each side of the head. The wingtips also faded into pure white points.

Intelligence

Like other Mantas, Beebe's Manta has a very large brain in comparison with it's body size. It heats the blood going to its brain and is one of the few animals (land or sea) that might pass the mirror test, seemingly exhibiting self-awareness.

Ecology and Behavior

Beebe's Manta can be found across the pacific, from the Galapagos Islands to Australia. It is an ocean-going species and spends most of its life far from land, travelling with the currents and migrating to areas where upwellings of nutrient-rich water increase the availability of zooplankton. Beebe's Manta is often found in association with offshore oceanic islands.

Behaviorally, the White-banded Manta is very similar to its close relatives

When traveling in deep water, the White-banded Manta swims steadily in a straight line, while further inshore it usually basks or swims idly. Mantas may travel alone or in groups of up to 50. They sometimes associate with other fish species, as well as sea birds and marine mammals. About 27% of their diet is based on filter feeding, and they will migrate to coastlines to hunt varying types of zooplankton such as copepods, mysids, shrimp, euphausiids, decapod larvae, and, on occasion, varying sizes of fish. When foraging, it usually swims slowly around its prey, herding the planktonic creatures into a tight group before speeding through the bunched-up organisms with its mouth open wide. While feeding, the cephalic fins are spread to channel the prey into its mouth and the small particles are sifted from the water by the tissue between the gill arches, about 73% of their diet is deep water sources including fish.

Beebe's Mantas sometimes visit cleaning stations on coral reefs, where they can adopt a near-stationary position for several minutes while cleaner fish consume bits of loose skin and external parasites. Such visits occur most frequently at high tide. It does not rest on the seabed as do many flat fish, as it needs to swim continuously to channel water over its gills for respiration