devil ray
noun
: any of various very large rays (genera Manta and Mobula of the family Mobulidae) widely distributed in warm seas that have large, triangular, winglike pectoral fins and a pair of hornlike lobes near the mouth which are used to guide plankton and other small aquatic organisms into the mouth, that typically lack a stinger on the tail, and that reproduce viviparously producing one or two offspring at birth
called also devilfish
compare manta rayExamples of devil ray in a Sentence
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Eating on the fly Because manta rays are essentially giant moving water filters, researchers from MIT looked to them and other mobula rays (a group that includes mantas and devil rays) for inspiration when figuring out potential improvements to industrial water filters.
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Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 31 Dec. 2024
Manta and devil rays are, arguably, some of the most iconic marine species in the world.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Moctezuma, who was first spotted in 1992, has been seen hunting other elasmobranch species such as the Munk’s pygmy devil ray, which is 1 meter (3.2 feet) wide, bull sharks and stingrays.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
Fine Art In Wildlife Born during the great mobula aggregations of spring, Juvenile Munk's devil rays remain in the Sea of Cortez long after their parents have left, using the shallow bays of Espiritu Santo as a nursery.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024
Fine Art Winner, Henley Spiers Munk’s devil rays, like the ones above, are found in tropical oceanic waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
—Samuel Sanders, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024
Snorkelers might spot turtles and devil rays, and there are several wrecks to explore by scuba.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023
The event will be sponsored by the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans and will include a presentation about Mobula munkiana, a species of devil ray that was named after Munk, who spent most of his career at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2022
Scientists collected genetic samples from devil ray embryos during different stages of fin development to see which genes were active.
—Alison MacKey, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2018
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Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 31 Dec. 2024
Manta and devil rays are, arguably, some of the most iconic marine species in the world.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Moctezuma, who was first spotted in 1992, has been seen hunting other elasmobranch species such as the Munk’s pygmy devil ray, which is 1 meter (3.2 feet) wide, bull sharks and stingrays.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
Fine Art In Wildlife Born during the great mobula aggregations of spring, Juvenile Munk's devil rays remain in the Sea of Cortez long after their parents have left, using the shallow bays of Espiritu Santo as a nursery.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024
Fine Art Winner, Henley Spiers Munk’s devil rays, like the ones above, are found in tropical oceanic waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
—Samuel Sanders, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024
Snorkelers might spot turtles and devil rays, and there are several wrecks to explore by scuba.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023
The event will be sponsored by the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans and will include a presentation about Mobula munkiana, a species of devil ray that was named after Munk, who spent most of his career at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2022
Scientists collected genetic samples from devil ray embryos during different stages of fin development to see which genes were active.
—Alison MacKey, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Devil ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devil%20ray. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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