manta vs manta ray

manta and manta ray both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
manta	Yes	No	No	No
manta ray	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, manta and manta ray are synonyms defined as:

manta and manta ray: extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it dangerous if harpooned

Other synonyms of manta include devilfish.

manta (noun)	manta ray (noun)
extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it dangerous if harpooned	extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it dangerous if harpooned
a blanket that is used as a cloak or shawl