One of the largest and legendary creatures underwater kingdom- this is a fish " sea Devil" It is smaller in size than some whales, but not a single larger representative of this superclass of aquatic vertebrates has been found in the depths of the seas and oceans. And it has held the championship in myths and superstitions, debunked only recently, for many centuries.
Discovery of the "sea devil"
This animal was first described and named by Johann Walbaum, a German zoologist, doctor and naturalist. He called him Raja birostris; and this happened, by historical standards, not so long ago - in 1792. It should be noted that the history of these is the most intricate and vague, compared to other living beings: over two centuries they were given 25 species “names” and a dozen generic ones. IN modern science The name Manta birostris is recognized. Until recently, it was believed that the “sea devil” fish was sole representative giant manta rays. However, in 2009, another species was isolated, Manta alfredi, which has significant differences in appearance, both in development and morphology, but similar in size, nutrition and lifestyle.
Legends and myths
The sea devil fish (photo above) got its nickname because of the peculiar shape of its head fins - with them it directs food into its mouth. From the outside they look like horns; and given the considerable size of the individual, it is not surprising that it inspired terror in sea travelers. Europeans who sailed in tropical waters believed that if you angered the devil fish, it would sink the ship, and it would chase it with unquenchable anger and persistence. In southeast Asia, meeting a manta ray meant (and still means) imminent troubles and big troubles. There was an opinion that the huge flat body serves the manta to envelop the unfortunate prey in order to absorb it (according to another version, crush it if a person has offended the monster in some way).
Sea devil fish: description
The stingray has huge diamond-shaped pectoral fins - in large specimens their span reaches seven meters. In front they turn into head fins, between which there is a wide mouth. The eyes are located on the sides, and the gills - in the form of slits - are located on the bottom of the head. The back of the sea devil is dark (black or thick gray), the belly is light. Moreover, there must be a scattering of stains on it. It is noteworthy that their number and location are strictly individual - like a person’s fingerprints. As for the weight, a large individual sometimes reaches two and a half tons...
Life in the ocean
No matter what they say, no matter what horror stories No matter what you imagine, the sea devil fish feeds like whales - plankton and small crustaceans. For this purpose, its mouth is equipped with a special apparatus for straining food, consisting of gill plates. Considering the size of the manta, it is not surprising that it is forced to eat almost continuously.
The natural enemies of these creatures are killer whales and big sharks. They attack adults only if they are wounded and sick, but they actively hunt for cubs.
Unlike most, mantas are inhabitants of the upper water layers. On greater depth they never go down.
Reproduction of manta rays
To procreate, giant stingrays swim to the shores of Mozambique. Their mating season is in November. At this time, dozens of representatives of the “sea devil” species can be observed there. Descriptions of their courtship, provided by many ocean scientists and amateur divers, characterize this process as a very beautiful spectacle. Males follow a whole line of females who are ready to conceive, and high speeds, usually not characteristic of manta rays. The female "sea devil" gives birth to only one offspring; Cases of twins are very rare. In the initial stages after hatching, the baby remains inside the mother and feeds. After birth, the sea devil fish is a meter and a quarter long and weighs about ten kilograms. A newborn baby follows its mother everywhere. The female produces offspring irregularly - there are breaks at two and three years.
Danger of extinction
As already mentioned, the sea devil fish is serious natural enemies does not have. But for her the person is mortally dangerous. Its meat and liver are considered a culinary delicacy, and among the Chinese they are also widely used in medicine. It is Chinese fishermen who actively exterminate devilfish when they visit the Mozambique coast in November. Considering how slowly the giant rays reproduce, and the fact that this is the place they choose for mating, it can be argued that until the waters near Mozambique become protected, the threat of extermination of manta rays will not disappear.
Mysteries of the "sea devil"
Despite the fact that the sea devil fish is being actively studied, not all of its secrets have been revealed by scientists. First of all, no one can say why they get married near Mozambique and where they go after. Working stingrays are essentially migrants and simply “travel” wherever they look.
No less a mystery remains their habit of jumping out of the water and falling back with a fountain of splashes. Various scientists have put forward several versions on this matter:
Which of the hypotheses is correct may become known in the future, of course, if humanity does not relegate this creature to the category of extinct.
Stingray - Manta Ray. Manta ray(another name for the giant “sea devil”) can reach sizes of up to 7 m, from the tip of one lateral fin to the tip of the other (the transverse width of the stingray). The weight of such stingrays is up to 2.5 tons. The usual average size for manta rays is 4-4.5 m. Scientific name species - Manta birostris. The manta ray belongs to the manta family, or sea devils. The flat body of the stingray has a diamond shape, which continues on the sides with fins, and at the back there is a long thin tail. Therefore, it belongs to the stingray, they also say stingray, because of the prickly spines at the end of the tail. According to hydrobiologist Andrea Marshall, who has been studying manta rays for more than 10 years, manta rays actually come in two subspecies. But it is officially recognized that there is only one species of manta ray. Manta rays live in the tropical waters of all oceans. The most studied population is off the coast of Mozambique. Manta rays in the water are breathtakingly beautiful. Black on top, with a bright white belly, on which there are dark spots, characteristic of each individual. Mantas move slowly, their movements are leisurely and graceful, the mantas seem to float in the water. Unlike others manta rays They prefer to stay in the upper layers of water, sometimes lying on the surface with their pectoral fin sticking out of the water.
Manta rays belong to the class cartilaginous fish, like sharks. Manta rays feed on plankton, small crustaceans and small fish. Moving behind plankton, they can cover enormous distances, although the speed of mantas is not high, approximately 10 km/h. In front of the head there is a large oral cavity, up to 1 m in diameter when the mouth is open. Mantas have blades-fins on the sides of their mouths, with which they direct the flow of water into their mouths. Because of these blade-horns, which can curl into spirals during movement, and the black color of their backs, they once received the nickname “sea devils.” The water is filtered through a filter apparatus, gill slits like those of whale sharks. Anything that gets stuck goes into food. Manta rays have the largest brains of all fish, relative to their total body weight. A female manta ray carries one calf for almost 12 months. What is unusual is that while in the mother’s womb, the baby feeds on her milk. A fry is born weighing up to 10 kg with a transverse fin size of up to 1.5 m, fully adapted to independent life in water. During the courtship period, several males follow the female in a line, sometimes up to 20 individuals, until the female chooses one. Manta rays mate at a depth of one to several meters. In life, they prefer to stay in groups, not far from coral reefs. Manta rays, like sharks, can be accompanied by clinging fish, which clean the skin of the manta ray from invading organisms. But all the same, manta rays regularly go to the reefs in groups to “clean fish”, like many large ones sea fish. Manta rays are curious and not aggressive in nature.
They love to jump out of the water. Why they do this is not entirely clear. When jumping into the air, they rise up to 1.5 m, then simply plop back into the water. The sound of a stingray hitting the surface of the water can be heard several miles away. If there are divers in the water or a boat is standing, the manta may swim up out of curiosity. The only danger is that if the manta jumps out, it may fall on top of the boat or swimmer. The desire to jump is contagious when you jump alone
Features and habitat of the manta ray
Stingray manta ray is a vertebrate animal, the only one of its kind, which has 3 pairs of active limbs. The width of the most large representatives The species can reach 10 meters, but most often there are medium-sized individuals - about 5 meters.
Their weight fluctuates around 3 tons. In Spanish, the word "stingray" means blanket, meaning the animal got its name because of its unusual body shape.
Habitat a habitat manta ray- temperate, tropical and subtropical waters. The depth varies widely - from coastal areas to 100-120 meters.
It is generally accepted that the characteristics of an organism and unusual shape bodies allow manta rays to descend to depths of more than 1000 meters. Most often, the appearance near the coasts is associated with the change of seasons and time of day.
So, in spring and autumn, stingrays live in shallow water, but in winter they swim into open ocean. The same thing happens with the change of time of day - during the day animals are closer to the surface, at night they rush to the depths.
The body of the animal is a movable rhombus, since its fins are securely fused to the head. Manta ray pictured from above it appears as a flat, elongated spot gliding through the water. From the side you can see that the “spot” moves its body in waves and steers long tail. In addition to the photo, they are relevant manta ray vector images.
Mouth great manta ray located on its upper part, the so-called back. If the mouth is open, there is a “hole” gaping on the stingray’s body, about 1 meter wide. The eyes are there, on the sides of the head protruding from the body.
The photo shows a manta ray with its mouth open
The surface of the back is dark in color, most often brown, blue or black. The abdomen is light. There are also often white spots on the back, which in most cases have the shape of hooks. There are also completely black representatives of the species, the only bright spot in which is a small spot on the lower part.
Character and lifestyle of the manta ray
The movement of mantas occurs due to the movement of fins fused to the head. From the outside it looks more like a leisurely flight or soaring above the surface of the bottom than swimming. The animal looks calm and relaxed, however manta ray size still makes a person feel unsafe around him.
IN big water the slopes move mainly along a straight path, maintaining the same speed for a long time. Along the surface of the water, where the sun warms its surface, the stingray can slowly circle.
The largest manta ray can live in complete isolation from other representatives of the species, or can gather in large groups(up to 50 individuals). Giants get along well with other non-aggressive mammals.
An interesting habit of animals is jumping. Manta ray jumps out of the water and may even perform a somersault over its surface. Sometimes this behavior is widespread and one can observe the next or simultaneous somersault of several mantas at once.
One more interesting fact about the manta ray is that this giant must constantly be on the move, since its splashes are underdeveloped. The movement helps pump water through the gills.
Manta ray feeding
Almost any residents underwater world may become prey for manta rays. Representatives of the species small size they feed on various worms, larvae, mollusks, small ones, and can even catch small ones. That is, medium and small manta rays absorb food of animal origin.
It is considered a paradox that giant stingrays, on the contrary, feed mainly on plankton and tiny ones. By passing water through itself, the stingray filters it, leaving prey and oxygen dissolved in the water. When “hunting” for plankton, the manta ray can travel long distances, although fast speed does not develop. average speed— 10 km/h.
Reproduction and lifespan of the manta ray
Reproductive system Stingrays are very developed and complex. Manta rays reproduce by ovoviviparous method. Fertilization occurs internally. The male is ready to mate when his body width reaches 4 meters; he usually reaches this size at the age of 5-6 years. The young female is 5-6 meters wide. Sexual maturity is the same.
The mating dances of stingrays are also a complex process. Initially, one or more males chase one female. This can continue for half an hour. The female herself chooses a partner for mating.
As soon as the male reaches the chosen one, he turns her upside down, grabbing her by the fins. The male then inserts the sexual organ into the cloaca. The stingrays occupy this position within a couple of minutes, during which fertilization occurs. Cases have been recorded in which several males performed fertilization.
The eggs are fertilized in the female's body and the young hatch there. At first, they feed on the remains of the “shell,” that is, the gall sac in which the eggs are located in the form of embryos. Then, when this supply runs out, they begin to receive nutrients from mother's milk.
Thus, the embryos live in the female’s body for about a year. A stingray can give birth to one or two babies at a time. This happens in shallow water, where they subsequently remain until they gain strength. The body length of a small stingray can reach 1.5 meters.
May. 9, 2011 at 08:48 The manta ray gained worldwide fame thanks to its huge size. In the widest part of the body - from one tip of the fin to the other - it can reach 7 meters. Moreover, its weight is about 2 tons.
Manta rays live in all warm seas and tropical waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, including the Mediterranean Sea.
The manta received its second name - "sea devil" - for its head fins located along the edges of the mouth. While swimming, they curl into a tube and become like horns. These fins are necessary for the stingray to hunt. While swimming, he directs a stream of water rich in plankton and small fish into his mouth.
They travel long distances in search of food. Like the whale shark, which, by the way, is its closest relative, manta rays suck in water and pass it through many gill plates. After filtration, plankton and small fish remain on them. Then the entire catch is sent to the stomach.
Bottom view
Mantas, unlike other stingrays, most spend their lives in the upper strata open sea. Their swimming is mesmerizing. It can be compared to the soaring flight of a huge bird in the air. The movements of its huge ventral fins are so smooth and proportionate. Sometimes sea devils can be seen lying on the surface of the water.
In the habitats or migrations of these animals, sometimes an incredible spectacle unfolds above the surface of the water - these giants quickly jumping out of the water and a deafening landing with a fountain of splashes. Sometimes the roar from these jumps can be heard several kilometers away. No one can say for sure what the purpose of these jumps is, but there is an assumption that in this way they attract partners or stun schools of small fish.
In these places you need to be careful not to swim close to their flock, as one of them can accidentally fall on a small boat and sink it. This is the only threat that can come from this underwater inhabitant.
One of these cases occurred quite recently - at the end of March this year, when, while on vacation in Florida, on a small yacht that she rented married couple with the children, a giant stingray jumped in and pinned the woman with all its weight. But everything ended well. The victim escaped with fear and a couple of bruises, and the stingray was released back into the sea.
Previously, people believed that the stingray specifically attacked divers, wrapping them around them with its huge fins, like a cloak, and dragging them to the bottom. By the way, it is for this reason that the stingray got its name “manta”, which is translated from Spanish as “cloak”.
Small flock of stingrays
The discovery of this animal occurred in 1792 and belongs to Johann Julius Walbaum, a German doctor, naturalist, zoologist and taxonomist.
Little is known about the reproduction process of these stingrays. The female brings one cub about 125 cm wide and weighing 10 kg. While he is in the womb, he feeds on her milk. Childbirth occurs very quickly. The baby, one might say, flies out of the mother’s womb, curled up into a tube. Then he spreads his fins and, together with the female, goes on a journey around the world.
Manta ray or giant sea devil is a species of stingray of the genus of the same name in the eagle family of the caudal-shaped order, a superorder of stingrays. Representatives of the subfamily Mobulinae, which includes manta rays, are the only vertebrates that have three pairs of functioning limbs. This is the largest of the stingrays, the body width of individual individuals reaches 9.1 m (in the bulk 4-4.5 meters), and the mass of large specimens is up to 3 tons.
Translated from Spanish The name of this fish is translated as “cloak” or “blanket”. And indeed, floating in the depths clear water The manta ray is very reminiscent of a kind of flying carpet, elegantly and majestically soaring in the sky.
Manta is one of the most known species stingrays It owes its fame, first of all, to its enormous size and amazing appearance, which have given rise to various legends, stories and fables about this amazing fish since ancient times.
The appearance and size of the manta ray are truly unique. Even a newborn baby bird reaches more than 150 cm in fin span, and an adult can reach a wingspan of almost 8 m and weighs more than 2 tons! This is a real sea giant.
To be fair, it should be said that the manta ray is not the record holder among rays in terms of body length - the “podium” in this competition is occupied by saw-throated rays, some species of which reach 7.6 m from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail. The manta's body does not grow longer than the 2 meter mark. But due to the massiveness and breadth of the wing-fin span, the manta ray, according to the unanimous opinion of biologists, is considered the largest ray from known to science.
The appearance of this fish does not allow it to be confused with any other stingray or marine animal. Her body resembles a diamond-shaped carpet, black on top and snow-white on the ventral side. Wide wings formed pectoral fins, whip-shaped short tail, and characteristic horns on the head formed by the anterior tips of the pectoral fins. With these horns, the stingray increases the flow of water into the cavity of its huge mouth. Why does the manta need increased water circulation in its mouth? Yes, for the simple reason that these rays are planktivorous marine animals, like whales, cetaceans and giant sharks. Even the manta's mouth is shaped like a mouth whale shark, differing, however, in the structure of the dental apparatus.
The ability of sea devils to jump out of the water is well known. At the same time, they can rise 1.5 m above its surface. The sound of a large specimen falling on the water is heard like thunder and can be heard for several miles. Manta rays are completely safe for humans because they are not aggressive. However, touching her skin, which is covered with small spines, is fraught with bruises and abrasions.
On their way to collect plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers. Stingrays live in the warm waters of all oceans except the Arctic. More often they are found in Indian Ocean, where they form entire flocks. They usually hover in the water column, absorbing plankton crops, and often rest near the surface, exposing the tips of their pectoral fins to the surface.
Mantas swim by flapping their pectoral fins like wings. In the open sea they move at a constant speed in a straight line, and near the shore they often bask on the surface of the water or lazily circle. They are found both singly and in groups of up to 30 individuals. They are often accompanied by other fish, as well as seabirds.
Interestingly, manta rays are the most “brainy” fish in the World Ocean. The specific gravity of the manta's brain (relative to body weight) is the largest fish known to science. It is possible that manta rays are the most “smart” fish on Earth.
The main danger to manta rays is humans. Stingray meat is tasty and the liver is rich in fat. Therefore, in their habitats, artisanal fishermen and sports fishermen hunt mantas. It’s not easy to get a huge fish out of the water, so it’s prestigious. This is causing manta ray numbers to decline, causing concern among conservationists. Currently, work is underway on artificial breeding these animals are in captivity. In 2007, a baby manta ray was born for the first time at the Okinawa Aquarium (Japan).
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