This Manta Ray piece was released in 2012 as part of the Perth mint's Sea Life series. The series celebrates some of Australia's most unique reef dwelling species. The reverse of this particular coin features a coloured depiction of the Manta Ray with the legend 'AUSTRALIAN SEA LIFE II - THE REEF' and 'MANTA RAY'. The obverse houses the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II with the legend 'ELIZABETH II - AUSTRALIA - 50 CENTS - 1/2 OZ 999 SILVER - 2012.'
The Manta Ray can be found in warm waters across all of the world's major oceans. (Australian Museum, 2017) They are the largest species of rays which are extraordinary flattened fish with large fins that allow them to fly through the water. The Manta Ray has been found with a body width up to seven meters but it is believed that they can grow larger. They are filter feeders that consist on a diet of crustaceans, plankton and small fish. (Emanuel Wetterqvist, 2013)