# Rhinoptera jayakari The Jayakar's Manta Ray is a gentle giant that glides through the ocean. It has a flat body and long fins that look like wings, making it a beautiful swimmer in the sea. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Rhinoptera jayakari](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sur-Fish_market_%289%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sur-Fish_market_%289%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Rhinoptera jayakari has a distinct diamond-shaped body with a dark brownish or olive-green back and a white belly. Its most notable feature is the bilobed head, which protrudes forward like a shovel, giving it an eagle-like appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Myliobatiformes - **Family:** Myliobatidae - **Genus:** Rhinoptera ## Interesting facts - Baby eagle rays are born looking like tiny versions of their parents! - Their unique snout helps them dig for tasty shellfish on the seabed! - These rays often swim in huge schools, sometimes hundreds strong! - They use special 'grinding plates' instead of teeth to crush hard shells! ## Special abilities - **Buried Treasure Hunter:** Rhinoptera jayakari can use its powerful, shovel-like snout to dig buried shellfish from the sand, helping them find food. - **Electric Sniffer:** Rhinoptera jayakari has special electroreceptors that help them detect hidden prey on the seabed, even under sand. - **Ocean Leaper:** Rhinoptera jayakari can jump high out of the water, which might help them escape predators or communicate. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 60-100 cm - **Wingspan:** 60-120 cm - **Weight:** 10-50 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-25 years - **Speed:** 20 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-2 - **Gestation:** 300-365 days ## Diet & Feeding They primarily feed on small crustaceans and shellfish that they dig out of the ocean floor. - **Primary Foods:** clams, oysters, crabs, shrimp, worms - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Tiger Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-shark) (*Galeocerdo cuvier*) — Large sharks prey on adult rays. - **Eaten by:** [Bull Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bull-shark) (*Carcharhinus leucas*) — Bull sharks are known predators of rays. - **Eats:** Blue Swimmer Crab (*Portunus pelagicus*) — Crabs are a significant part of their diet. - **Eats:** Granular Ark Clam (*Anadara granosa*) — They crush and consume various bivalves. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch from a distance and never touch wild animals in the ocean. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Rhinoptera jayakari? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Rhinoptera jayakari? 60-100 cm ### What is Rhinoptera jayakari's wingspan? 60-120 cm ### How much does Rhinoptera jayakari weigh? 10-50 kg ### How long does Rhinoptera jayakari live? 15-25 years ### How fast can Rhinoptera jayakari move? 20 km/h ### What does Rhinoptera jayakari eat? They primarily feed on small crustaceans and shellfish that they dig out of the ocean floor. ### Where is Rhinoptera jayakari usually found? Coastal areas ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Rhinoptera jayakari: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rhinoptera-jayakari)