Mantaris-class amphibious medium transport

The Mantaris-class amphibious medium transport was a starship designed and constructed jointly by Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps and Otoh Gunga Bongowerks in 32 BBY. Because of its unique design based on a manta ray, that transport was also referred to as the Ray Ship, or simply Ray. It was developed in the months that followed the Invasion of Naboo, as part of a cooperative effort between the Gungans and the Naboo to colonize the empty aquatic moon of Ohma-D'un. Due to its conception, the Mantaris-class was remarkably adaptable to different environments, which included atmospheric flight, realspace, and underwater. Ultimately, the commissioning of the Mantaris-class transport helped the Gungans join the galactic community at large. Queen Amidala's Master of Sciences Graf Zapalo, who had supervised the conception of the Mantaris-class, also adopted it as his personal means of transport.

Physical appearance
The Mantaris-class amphibious medium transport[1]—also known as "the Ray Ship" or simply "the Ray"[3]—was a 98-meter starship designed for travel both in interstellar and in aquatic environments. Being a joint venture between the Naboo and the Gungans, its design reflected the artistic qualities of both races.[1] The class was named after the manta ray, a fish species it resembled very much, with its flat wings swept backwards and its two saber-like tails.[2] Those tails were in fact heat sink finials that measured 30 meters, a little less than a third of the ship's total length.[1] When activated, phosphorescent knobs located at the tips of the wings shone red. It also featured horn-shaped, finlike appendages located the bow,[2] which were twin concussion missile launchers. The overall frame of the Mantaris transport was based on the Gungan cargo submersible, better known as bongo,[1] which is why it was often referred to in Gungan Basic as "big bongo ship."[2] That well-tested hull design, which was only adapated to water, was then enhanced by Naboo engineers to make it spaceworthy,[1] and capable of withstanding important pressure changes. It was also equipped with electromotive stabilizers for softer landings.

Interior layout
The normal cargo capacity of the Mantaris-class was of 250 metric tons, an improvement compared with earlier bongos. In its default configuration, the vessel could carry twenty passengers, consumables for three months, and a crew of four—one pilot, one navigator/shield operator, one communications/security officer, one engineer/gunner, and one astromech droid. In addition to that, the transport could be outfitted with bubble-shaped modules that could either add thirty individuals to the passenger capacity, increase the cargo capacity by 100 tons, or carry wildlife specimens[1] contained in liqui-stasis tank.[3] Every Mantaris-class transport could carry up four modules at a time. In turn, a single module pod could contain sixty small creatures, thirty medium ones, fifteen large ones, seven huge ones, three gargantuan ones, or a single colossal creature. It could also carry ER-1 probe droids.[1] In its cockpit, the vessel also boasted a large holoviewer that projected holographic images constructed from the probe droids' sensors array. The main dashboard was equipped with various tools that allowed the operator to perform several tasks on ground while staying aboard, through control of the probe droid. Those tools included the species indicator, which could select a given organism and monitor it from the cockpit. The capture tool would prompt the droid to return a given organism back to the ship's tanks, while the release tool did the opposite. Finally, the stun tool caused the droid to temporarily immobilize the selected creature with a stun beam.

Role
The Manta-class transport was intended for transporting various organisms, whether they be plants or animals, from one celestial body to another.[2] It eventually became a more common type of transport for passengers,[1] and some individuals used it as a private vessel.