Devil Ray Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Diamond to kite-shaped pectoral disc, wider than it is long, with pointed wingtips
• Paired cephalic (head) fins that project forward from the front of the head and can curl into a spiral when swimming
• Mouth positioned on the underside of the head rather than at the very front edge
• Dark grey, blue-grey, or blackish upperside, often paler or white below
• Slender, whip-like tail, usually without a large stinging spine in most species

Common look-alikes

• Manta rays are larger, have a mouth at the very front edge of the head rather than set back underneath, and lack a tail spine
• Eagle rays have a distinct, separate head that stands apart from the disc rather than cephalic fins, plus a longer, thicker tail base

Where you'll see one

Devil rays are pelagic and migratory, ranging through warm-temperate and tropical open ocean and continental shelf waters worldwide. They are often seen leaping clear of the surface or gathering in loose aggregations near upwellings and productive current fronts, sometimes forming large schools during seasonal migrations.