Giant Oceanic Manta Ray vs Oso Polar

Manta birostris compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Giant Oceanic Manta Ray is Endangered while Oso Polar is Vulnerable.
• Giant Oceanic Manta Ray is omnivore while Oso Polar is carnivore.
• Giant Oceanic Manta Ray is 3.1x heavier than Oso Polar.
• Giant Oceanic Manta Ray lives longer (50 years vs 25 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Oceanic Manta Ray	Oso Polar
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Rhincodontidae (Whale Sharks)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Rhincodon (Whale Sharks)	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Manta birostris	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray and Oso Polar share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (cordados)

Conservation Status

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

EN — Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Oso Polar

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Oceanic Manta Ray	Oso Polar
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	50 years	25 years
Average Length	5.0 m	2.4 m
Average Weight	1.4 t	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including flooded grasslands and savannas, mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Neotropic realms.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Ecuador, Maldives, Mexico, and Mozambique. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Oso Polar

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

La manta raya gigante oceánica (Manta birostris) es la especie de raya más grande, con una envergadura de hasta 7 metros. Son animales filtradores que se alimentan de plancton.

Oso Polar

El mayor carnivoro terrestre de la Tierra, el oso polar puede superar los 700 kg y se encuentra en el hielo marino del Artico, desde Canada hasta Rusia. Es un mamifero marino altamente especializado que depende del hielo marino para cazar focas anilladas y barbadas. Excelente nadador capaz de cubrir grandes distancias en agua abierta. Clasificado como Vulnerable, sus poblaciones soportan una presion severa por la rapida perdida de hielo marino artico debida al cambio climatico.