from where does it get its name?
From Portuguese and Spanish for mantle (cloak or blanket).
Manta ray
The name "manta" is Portuguese and Spanish for mantle (cloak or blanket), a type of blanket-shaped trap traditionally used to catch rays. Mantas are known as "devilfish" because of their horn-shaped cephalic fins, which are imagined to give them an "evil" appearance.
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. which species is it? "Manta birostris" can they be found in captivity as well? Rarely: a few are "Nandi" (uShaka Marine World); "Zeus" (The Atlantis resort); and those in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. how does it look? Broad heads, triangular pectoral fins, and horn-shaped cephalic fins located on either side of their mouths, tails lack skeletal support and are shorter than their disc-like bodies, typically black or dark in color with pale markings on their "shoulders".
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Manta ray [SEP] Taxonomy and etymology
The name "manta" is Portuguese and Spanish for mantle (cloak or blanket), a type of blanket-shaped trap traditionally used to catch rays. Mantas are known as "devilfish" because of their horn-shaped cephalic fins, which are imagined to give them an "evil" appearance. Manta rays are members of the order Myliobatiformes which consists of stingrays and their relatives. The genus "Manta" is part of the eagle ray family Myliobatidae, where it is grouped in the subfamily Mobulinae along with the "Mobula" devil rays. In 2017, an analysis of DNA, and to a lesser degree, morphology, found that "Mobula" was paraphyletic with respect to the manta rays, and they recommended treating "Manta" as a junior synonym of "Mobula".