extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it dangerous if harpooned
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Manta \Man"ta\, n. [From the native name.] (Zo["o]l.) The {manta ray}. See also {Cephaloptera} and {Sea devil}.
manta ray \manta ray\ n. An extremely large pelagic tropical ray of the family {Mobulidae}, that feeds on plankton and small fishes. It is usually harmless but its size (up to 20 feet across and up to a ton in weight) make it dangerous if harpooned. Called also {manta}, {sea devil} and {devilfish}. See also {Cephaloptera} and {Sea devil}. [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
Cephaloptera \Ceph`a*lop"te*ra\ (s[e^]f`[.a]*l[o^]p"t[-e]*r[.a]), n. [NL., fr. Gr. kefalh` head + ptero`n wing.] (Zo["o]l.) One of the generic names of the gigantic ray ({Manta birostris}) of the family {Mobulidae}, known as {devilfish}, {sea devil}, {manta} and {manta ray}. It is common on the coasts of South Carolina, Florida, and farther south, and is sometimes found as far north as New York Bay. Some of them grow to enormous size, becoming twenty feet of more across the body, and weighing more than a ton.
No details were provided on the exact dimensions and other features of the previously secret Avenger, which resembles a manta ray.