Prior to this discovery, scientists only acknowledged two other manta ray species, the giant oceanic manta ray and the reef manta.
Bryant Turffs/Marine Megafauna FoundationThe Atlantic manta ray shares some traits with the other two known species of manta ray.
Scientists have discovered a new species of manta ray — and it’s only the third known in the whole world.
The sea creature was first spotted by conservation biologist Andrea Marshall 15 years ago, but has now officially been declared a new species of manta ray called the Atlantic manta ray. For a long time, scientists only recognized one species, the giant oceanic manta ray. However, a 2009 discovery by Marshall and other experts led to the classification of the reef manta species.
Scientists believe the Atlantic manta ray may have split from the giant oceanic manta species relatively recently, providing a unique opportunity to study the evolution of manta rays.
The Identification Of The Atlantic Manta Ray Was 15 Years In The Making
Projeto Mantas do Brasil and Marine Megafauna Foundation databaseThe Atlantic manta ray is unique for its color variation and distinctive markings.
Marshall first saw what would become known as the Atlantic manta ray off the eastern coast of Mexico 15 years ago. She had spent years studying the other two known species of manta rays, and realized this particular ray didn’t look like either one.
After the initial sighting, Marshall spent years studying different manta rays and their subtle colors, patterns, sizes, and preferred habitats. Genetic testing of a dead manta ray that washed ashore in 2017 eventually confirmed Marshall’s theory: There was indeed a third species of manta ray out there.
Marshall and her team of scientists published a paper in July 2025 describing the new species, officially named Mobula yarae, in Environmental Biology of Fishes.
The Atlantic manta ray can grow to between 16 and 20 feet wide, however scientists have mainly studied younger rays of the species, which tend to be smaller in size. They share a similar habitat as that of the reef manta rays, which are primarily found in coastal waters.
The M. yarae favors Atlantic tropical and subtropical waters. It lives along the east coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, all the way down to the coast of Brazil.
M. yarae is now the third documented species of manta ray, along with the giant oceanic manta (Mobula birostris) and the reef manta (Mobula alfredi). Marshall was one of the scientists involved in the discovery of the reef manta in 2009.
“It was huge for me as an early career scientist and such a privilege to go through every step of the process, which, toward the end, included traveling around the globe to document their respective ranges across the world’s oceans,” Marshall wrote in an Instagram post about the yet-to-be-named Atlantic manta ray discovery in 2022. “Did I ever expect to do something like that again? Hell no.”
The Atlantic manta ray shares some physical traits with the other two species of manta ray, but the features that set it apart are its distinctive dark belly spots, V-shaped white shoulder patches, and notably light coloration around the mouth and eyes.
The Discovery Of The Atlantic Manta Ray Is Important For Conservationists
Janneman Conradie/Marine Megafauna FoundationMarshall first spotted the third species of manta ray off the coast of Mexico.
The official discovery of the Atlantic manta ray can aid scientists in pursuing conservation work. Scientists can now better tailor their recommendations and studies to each specific species of manta ray, resulting in more effective conservation and protection.
The Atlantic manta ray, for example, is particularly vulnerable to boat strikes and getting caught in fish lines due to their habitat by the coastline.
Now that this species has been identified, scientists can better protect it. However, there is still much to be learned about M. yarae.
Marshall’s colleagues are continuing her work, as she has been on long-term medical leave since suffering severe health issues last year. Right now, the team is gearing up to begin satellite tagging studies to monitor the Atlantic manta ray population, according to the team’s statement.
“Kids often ask me if, in this day and age, there is really anything left to discover. I always laugh and end up telling my story because I am living proof that there is,” Marshall said in her 2022 Instagram post. “The only barrier we face is being close-minded and assuming we know it all, when in fact we have barely scratched the surface.”
After reading about the discovery and identification of the Atlantic manta ray, read about the massive new stick insect species uncovered in Australia. Then, take a look at 11 of the weirdest animals on Earth.
