Some rays have long, whip-like tails, other species have short tails. Some rays have a series of thorns on their body as a defense against predators. SIZE Rays range in size from just a few inches to over 22 feet wide. Most rays are in-between these two extremes. Manta ray Manta birostris is the largest ray.
Mantas eat microscopic plankton, small fish, and tiny crustaceans.
They funnel the food into their mouth while they swim, using two large, flap-like cephalic lobes which extend forward from the eyes. The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray Taeniura lymna is a very common, timid ray with an oval-shaped disc and two venomous tail spikes toward the tip of its tail. Rays have a flattened body shape and an elongated tail. The shape of the disc differs from species to species and may be circular, oval, wedge-shaped or triangular. The ray's distinctive tail also varies from species to species.