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Giant Manta Ray

Mobula birostris

Fish · family Mobulidae · order Myliobatiformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G3: vulnerable[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Threatened[1]
NatureServe global rank
G3 Vulnerable[2]
Native in
6 states[3]

The Giant Manta Ray is a fish in the family Mobulidae[4]. It is listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1].

Conservation status

Under the US Endangered Species Act, the Giant Manta Ray has the status Threatened[1]. NatureServe gives it a global rank of G3, which it labels Vulnerable[2]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Endangered[5]. NatureServe estimates the global adult population at 2500 to 100,000 individuals[6].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Threatened
NatureServe global rank[2] G3 (Vulnerable)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[5] Endangered
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[6] 2500 to 100,000 individuals

Where Giant Manta Ray lives

NatureServe lists the Giant Manta Ray as native in 6 US states and territories: Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas[3]. NatureServe gives each state its own rank, shown in the table on this page[7].On GBIF, the states with the most reports are Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina, New York and Alabama, but those counts follow where people look and report, not how many animals there are[8].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank SNRNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S2SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank SULAMississippi: native, state rank SUMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S3TXFlorida: native, state rank S1FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[7].
Show state ranks (6 states)
StateRankMeaning
FloridaS1Critically Imperiled
LouisianaSUUnrankable
MississippiSUUnrankable
New JerseySNRNot Ranked
South CarolinaS2Imperiled
TexasS3Vulnerable

When to look for it

People report this fish in every month of the year on GBIF[9]. Reports are highest in February, March and August[9]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[9].

January: 56 recordsJanFebruary: 127 recordsFebMarch: 136 recordsMarApril: 44 recordsAprMay: 125 recordsMayJune: 106 recordsJunJuly: 84 recordsJulAugust: 271 recordsAugSeptember: 94 recordsSepOctober: 81 recordsOctNovember: 53 recordsNovDecember: 39 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[9].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January56
February127
March136
April44
May125
June106
July84
August271
September94
October81
November53
December39

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina, New York, Alabama[8]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Giant Manta Ray endangered?
It is listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Endangered[5].
Where does the Giant Manta Ray live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas[3].
What other names does the Giant Manta Ray have?
NatureServe lists Chevron Manta, Devilfish, Giant Manta and Giant Oceanic Manta Ray[10].
How many Giant Manta Rays are there?
NatureServe estimates the global adult population at 2500 to 100,000 individuals[6].
When are Giant Manta Rays reported in the US?
Reports on GBIF are highest in February, March and August[9]. This reflects when people look and report, not how many animals there are[9].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Giant Manta Ray has the status Threatened (USFWS ECOS). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Giant Manta Ray: G3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Giant Manta Ray as native in 6 US states and territories: Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Giant Manta Ray (Mobula birostris) is a fish in the family Mobulidae, order Myliobatiformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Endangered. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 2500 to 100,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe state ranks for Giant Manta Ray (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  8. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Giant Manta Ray: Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina, New York, Alabama. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  9. GBIF observation records of Giant Manta Ray in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  10. Other English names listed by NatureServe for Giant Manta Ray: Chevron Manta, Devilfish, Giant Manta, Giant Oceanic Manta Ray. NatureServe Explorer

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.