Hāhālua, a Hawaiian ray, Manta alfredi, is a semi-pelagic fish which frequents Hawaiian coastal waters. They can grow up to 15 foot or so wingspan and 3000 pounds.
Groups of these graceful animals frequent the waters around the Kona (leeward) coast of Moku Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻi Island) and the channels of Maui Nui. Their cartilaginous skeletons put them in the same class as sharks and skates. The “wings” are actually elongated pectoral fins, and their flattened saucer-shaped bodies end in a whip-like tail, though it lacks a spine or stinger, unlike the tails of eagle rays and stingrays, which also inhabit Hawaiian waters.
The cephalic lobes of the manta, a pair of flaps on each side of the mouth, are unfurled when feeding and curled up when swimming, resembling horns, thus the English nickname “devil ray.” The Hawaiian name, “Hāhālua,” usually is translated as “two mouths,” or “two feelers.” The lobes help the filter feeding animal to direct zooplankton into its mouth. While feeding, it swims in graceful swoops, dives, and loops.
Hāhālua are countershaded, with a dark back and a light belly. The belly may have splotchy makings on the belly, which helps to identify individuals. Y-shaped light-colored markings from the head that fade down the back are also seen, and the wing tips may be pale.
They are slow growing, long-lived, and have a low fecundity (reproductive capacity). According to the NOAA fisheries website, their gestation period is thought to last 10-14 months, with the female birthing usually one pup every two or so.
