Wingspan (disc width)7 m
9.9 hundredthsBoeing 747 lengths
367Penny diameters
Tip to tip; largest recorded up to 9 m
Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash
Manta Ray
The gentle flying carpet of the ocean/Marine Life
The giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) has the largest brain-to-body ratio of any cold-blooded fish and is one of only a few animals that can recognize itself in a mirror. Their enormous wing-like pectoral fins allow them to glide through the water with surreal elegance. Despite their size, they feed almost exclusively on tiny plankton, filtered through specialized gill plates.
Measurements
Body mass1,350 kg
1,350Pineapples
13.5Baby elephants
13.5 millionthsAircraft carrier masses
Large adult; can reach up to 2000 kg
Body length4.5 m
6.92Baguettes
1,500Sesame seeds
5.9 tenthsTape measure lengths
Snout to tail
Cruising speed2.5 m/s
2.8 tenthsFalling raindrops
8.3 billionthsLight speeds
5 tenthsSkateboards
~9 km/h
Burst speed6.7 m/s
6.2 hundredthsPeregrine falcons
22.3Conveyor belts
2.1 tenthsHighway speeds
~24 km/h when evading predators
Dive depth1,000 m
833Ski pole lengths
106 quadrillionthsLight-years
3.7 tenthsGolden Gate Bridges
Deep dives recorded by satellite tags
Brain mass1.7 tenths kg
5.7 thousandthsLabrador retrievers
170,000Grains of sand
Largest brain-to-body ratio of any cold-blooded fish