Mantaris - class amphibious medium transport The " Mantaris " - class amphibious medium transport was a starship designed and constructed jointly by Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps and Otoh Gunga Bongowerks in 32 BBY . Because of its unique design based on a manta ray , that transport was also referred to as the Ray Ship , or simply Ray . It was developed in the months that followed the Invasion of Naboo , as part of a cooperative effort between the Gungans and the Naboo to colonize the empty aquatic moon of Ohma - D ' un . Due to its conception , the " Mantaris " - class was remarkably adaptable to different environments , which included atmospheric flight , realspace , and underwater . Ultimately , the commissioning of the " Mantaris " - class transport helped the Gungans join the galactic community at large . Queen Amidala ' s Master of Sciences Graf Zapalo , who had supervised the conception of the " Mantaris " - class , also adopted it as his personal means of transport . Characteristics . Physical appearance . The " Mantaris " - class amphibious medium transport — also known as " the Ray Ship " or simply " the Ray " — was a 98 - meter starship designed for travel both in interstellar and in aquatic environments . Being a joint venture between the Naboo and the Gungans , its design reflected the artistic qualities of both races . The class was named after the manta ray , a fish species it resembled very much , with its flat wings swept backwards and its two saber - like tails . Those tails were in fact heat sink finials that measured 30 meters , a little less than a third of the ship ' s total length . When activated , phosphorescent knobs located at the tips of the wings shone red . It also featured horn - shaped , finlike appendages located the bow , which were twin concussion missile launchers . The overall frame of the " Mantaris " transport was based on the Gungan cargo submersible , better known as bongo , which is why it was often referred to in Gungan Basic as " big bongo ship . " That well - tested hull design , which was only adapated to water , was then enhanced by Naboo engineers to make it spaceworthy , and capable of withstanding important pressure changes . It was also equipped with electromotive stabilizer s for softer landings . Interior layout . The normal cargo capacity of the " Mantaris " - class was of 250 metric tons , an improvement compared with earlier bongos . In its default configuration , the vessel could carry twenty passengers , consumables for three months , and a crew of four — one pilot , one navigator / shield operator , one communications / security officer , one engineer / gunner , and one astromech droid . In addition to that , the transport could be outfitted with bubble - shaped modules that could either add thirty individuals to the passenger capacity , increase the cargo capacity by 100 tons , or carry wildlife specimens contained in liqui - stasis tank . Every " Mantaris " - class transport could carry up to four modules at a time . In turn , a single module pod could contain sixty small creatures , thirty medium ones , fifteen large ones , seven huge ones , three gargantuan ones , or a single colossal creature . It could also carry ER - 1 probe droid s . In its cockpit , the vessel also boasted a large holoviewer that projected holographic images constructed from the probe droids ' sensors array . The main dashboard was equipped with various tools that allowed the operator to perform several tasks on ground while staying aboard , through control of the probe droid . Those tools included the species indicator , which could select a given organism and monitor it from the cockpit . The capture tool would prompt the droid to return a given organism back to the ship ' s tanks , while the release tool did the opposite . Finally , the stun tool caused the droid to temporarily immobilize the selected creature with a stun beam . Role . The " Manta " - class transport was intended for transporting various organisms , whether they be plants or animals , from one celestial body to another . It eventually became a more common type of transport for passengers , and some individuals used it as a private vessel . History . The design of the " Mantaris " - class amphibious medium transport came to fruition in the months that followed the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY . The schematics of an early version of it , titled " Mantaris Amphibious Transport , " were already present in the computer files of the Naboo royal starship very shortly after the end of the invasion . It was specifically designed when the Naboo and Gungan peoples put a cooperative effort to colonize Ohma - D ' un , the primary moon of Naboo . The project , which was spearheaded by the Gungan leader Rugor Nass and endorsed by Queen Padmé Amidala , required the creation of a number of new technologies , since the Gungans had not yet entered space age by then . To create those new tools , engineers from Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps and from Otoh Gunga Bongowerks worked under the guidance of Graf Zapalo , Master of Sciences to Queen Amidala . The success of the " Mantaris " - class program ultimately marked the introduction of the Gungans into the larger galactic community . Following the success of the colonization mission , the amphibious transport became the Gungans ' principle means of transport between worlds , and Graf Zapalo himself adopted one as his personal vehicle . Behind the scenes . Creation . The " Mantaris " - class transport was created for " " , an educational ecological simulation developed by Lucas Learning for simultaneous release with , the first installment of the prequel trilogy . However , while the game was released on May 24 , 1999 , the ship made an anticipated appearance in " The Ultimate Star Wars Episode I Sticker Book " , which came out on May 1 of the same year . Despite its appearance in the sticker book , the " Mantaris " was not shown in " The Phantom Menace " . Canon discrepancies . In the August 1999 , the " Mantaris " - class transport appeared in " " another Lucas Learning video game . The tangram mini - game of " Yoda ' s Challenge " included several data sheets of characters and vehicles as rewards . One of those sheets was devoted to the " Mantaris " - class transport , giving it the nickname " Ray Ship " and providing technical stats with a brief history . However , on February 17 , 2001 , those early stats were disregarded when Steve Miller wrote " The Mantaris " , an online supplement to the Wizards of the Coast paperback " Secrets of Naboo " . The data sheet from " Yoda ' s Challenge " and Miller ' s stats differ on a great number of points , from the ship ' s length to its manufacturer or hyperdrive capability .