Pronounced: [ fú fèn ]

Manta, pinyin: fú, with a consonant f and rhyming with ú, is pronounced as the 2nd tone.

Ray, pinyin: fèn, consonant is f, rhymes with èn, pronounced as the 4th tone.

Interpretation: a fish with a flattened, slightly diamond-shaped body, about 6 meters wide, a large mouth, triangular pectoral fins, a pair of fins protruding forward on either side of the head, and a slender, whip-like tail. It lives offshore.

Extended information:

Species history

The English name for manta rays is "manta The English name is "manta", which comes from the Spanish word for "blanket", which explains its size. The Chinese name is "manta ray" because of its resemblance to a bat flying in the night sky.

Manta rays are so "alien" looking that many people are confused when they see them for the first time, and it's hard to associate them with normal fish, but their ancestors swam in the oceans as far back as the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era. Since about 100 million years ago, their size has hardly changed, and they've become a permanent fixture in the oceans.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Manta Rays