Doug Perrine / Researcher Guy Stevens photographs belly spot identification pattern of Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Oc...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) barrel roll filter feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) chain-feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) vortex / cyclone feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton among Silverside fish that are also feeding on the plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Ind...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / close up of gills of Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) feeding, with open gill slits showing gill plates through which plankton is filtered (and which also draw oxygen from the w...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) with shark bite out of pectoral fin, among group feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) with cephalic fins rolled up, being cleaned by Moon wrasses (Thalassoma lunare) and Blue-streak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) Hanifaru...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) being cleaned by Moon wrasses (Thalassoma lunare) and Blue-streak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) at mouth of Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lago...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) swimming over cleaning station on patch reef with Yellow / Golden sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) and other schooling fish, Hanifaru Bay e...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) being cleaned by Moon wrasses (Thalassoma lunare) and Blue-streak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) Hanifaru Bay entrance, Hanifaru Lagoon,...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) barrel roll filter feeding on plankton, accompanied by juvenile Golden pilot jacks (Gnathanodon speciosus), Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, Maldives, I...

Doug Perrine / Diver photographing Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) at reef cleaning station with cleaner wrasse at mouth of Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean,...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays(Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, with tourist snorkeling and diving down to touch a ray, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian O...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, with tourist snorkeling and diving down to touch a ray, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, with tourist snorkeling in background and trying to touch a ray, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives...

Doug Perrine / (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, one with a lot of white dorsal pigmentation, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton, with snorkelers and scuba divers in background, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, O...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton among school of Fusilier fish (Caesionidae), Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Octob...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton among Silverside fish that are also feeding on the plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indi...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) filter feeding on plankton among Silverside fish that are also feeding on the plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Ind...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) chain filter feeding on plankton, swimming over school of Fusilier fish (Caesionidae) Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, India...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) chain filter feeding on plankton among Silverside fish in feeding aggregation, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean...

Doug Perrine / Reef manta rays (Manta alfredi formerly Manta birostris) chain-feeding on plankton, Hanifaru Bay, Hanifaru Lagoon, Baa Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean, October, Digitally enhanced image.