Manta ray

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/manta-ray

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Manta
2. What is the diet?Filter feeder: primarily plankton, supplemented by small schooling fish and squid
3. How do manta rays eat?They swim with their mouths open, letting water flow in. The water passes through their gill rakers, which trap plankton and small fish.
4. Why do manta rays gather at cleaning stations?At cleaning stations, small fish like wrasses and gobies remove parasites from the manta ray's skin. This keeps the manta ray healthy.

Elasmobranchs: A group of cartilaginous fish that includes sharks and rays.
Pelagic Zone: The open ocean, away from the coast and seabed.
Bycatch: The unintentional capture of non-target species during fishing operations.