which species is it?
"Manta birostris"
Manta ray
The scientific naming of mantas has had a convoluted history, during which several names were used for both the genus ("Ceratoptera", "Brachioptilon" "Daemomanta", and "Diabolicthys") and species (such as "vampyrus", "americana", "johnii", and "hamiltoni"). All were eventually treated as synonyms of the single species "Manta birostris".
do manta rays have barbs on their tails UNANSWERABLE what is this animal? These are large rays belonging to the genus "Mobula". where can it be found? They are found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical waters.
wiki:5359902
Manta ray [SEP] Species
The scientific naming of mantas has had a convoluted history, during which several names were used for both the genus ("Ceratoptera", "Brachioptilon" "Daemomanta", and "Diabolicthys") and species (such as "vampyrus", "americana", "johnii", and "hamiltoni"). All were eventually treated as synonyms of the single species "Manta birostris". The genus name "Manta" was first published in 1829 by Dr Edward Nathaniel Bancroft of Jamaica. The specific name " birostris" is ascribed to Johann Julius Walbaum (1792) by some authorities and to Johann August Donndorff (1798) by others. The specific name "alfredi" was first used by Australian zoologist Gerard Krefft, who named the manta after Prince Alfred.