One of the largest and most legendary creatures of the underwater kingdom is the sea devil fish. In size it is inferior to some whales, but none more major representative This superclass of aquatic vertebrates has not 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 the only 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 - 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 at high speeds, usually not typical for 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.
Over the endless expanses of the ocean you can see a fascinating sight: huge stingrays, like giant birds, break out of the water and fly over the surface. This is an extremely rare occurrence as the Manta population is rapidly declining. But still, some people manage to watch how the largest winged stingray living in the ocean flies over the water and again plunges into its depths.
Manta rays or giant sea devils live in subtropical and tropical zones world ocean. The largest winged stingrays of this species have a body width that can reach 9 meters. Animals often live in places rich in zooplankton, which serve as food for them. They are most often found in coastal areas, near coral reefs, islands or underwater peaks. Winged stingrays live in schools or individually.
The animals were first described by the German zoologist Johann Walbaum in 1792. Research carried out since then has revealed that manta rays are divided into 2 species: Manta birostris and Manta alfredi. Representatives of both species are very similar, and they can be distinguished by some color features.
Appearance
Manta rays have a dark dorsal surface that can be black, blue or brown. Light spots located on the top of the back form something like a hook. The animal's abdomen is light. There are representatives of this species that have only a black color, diluted with a single white spot on the entire body.
Manta rays feed on plankton, filtering the water. They have teeth only on the lower jaw. Despite their enormous size, winged rays can become prey for large predators such as sharks.
Scientists have not yet been able to determine why manta rays try to fly. According to one version, this is how males attract the attention of females. Other zoologists claim that in this way winged stingrays drown out fish while getting food for themselves: when, after a jump, the stingray lands on the surface of the water, a deafening sound is heard that travels for kilometers. None of the versions has been proven, so we can only guess why the mantas rush into the sky and admire this stunning spectacle.
Sea devils look great not only when flying over water. They impress with their gracefulness while swimming. The animals move slowly, flapping their huge fins like wings from time to time.
Reproduction
Winged stingrays give birth to a living baby that does not require parental care. After mating, one or two eggs are laid in the female's womb. After some time, babies emerge from them and continue to develop in the mother’s womb. The entire gestation period can last from 12 to 13 months.
Typically, manta rays give birth within two years. There are cases when a female has a baby every year. Winged rays reach sexual maturity at the age of 8 to 10 years. On average, manta rays live about 50 years.
Interaction with people
For a long time it was believed that manta rays pose a danger to humans. People made up terrible stories about winged stingrays, like vampires, drinking the life out of a person, wrapping their huge fins around him. Some even claimed that manta rays could easily swallow people. In fact, animals are very peaceful. They do not attack divers, especially boats. Only their huge size brings fear to people.
Manta rays have been brutally destroyed by humans for many years. They were caught for different purposes:
- animals were killed out of fear and misconception about their danger;
- stingray meat is used for cooking;
- Souvenirs are made from some body parts;
- Manta ray gill rakers are in demand in alternative medicine in China.
Winged stingrays are very rarely kept in captivity. Only the largest aquariums can afford to have this amazing animal. In a Japanese aquarium, manta rays have even begun to reproduce. This allows biologists to establish the most favorable living conditions for winged rays.
Sea devils are quite often confused with other winged rays - mobulas. These animals are indeed very similar and have minor differences in body structure. Mobulas are inferior to manta rays in size and weight. The body width of Mobulinae can reach 5.2 m, and they weigh a little more than a ton. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters.
Mobulas, like manta rays, sometimes fly above the water. The height of the jump can reach 3 m. Sometimes you can see how the winged stingrays do an impressive somersault before landing loudly on the surface of the water. Cases have also been recorded when animals in whole flocks were thrown onto land. Despite all the efforts of biologists, it was not possible to establish exactly why the stingrays are thrown onto land. In most cases, scientists are inclined to believe that the cause of this behavior is environmental degradation.
“Blanket” or “cloak” is how the Spanish word “scat” is translated. Sea devil is another name for this majestic and absolutely safe animal.
Taxonomy of manta rays
Manta ray - sea devilManta rays belong to the order Dasyatiformes caudapods (according to other sources - to the order of eagle rays - Myliobatidae). In the genus Manta, they are the only species of the manta family. Systematic scientists have not yet come to a single opinion about the presence of some orders of stingrays. Some sources indicate the existence of an order of eagle rays, including the stingray family, others distinguish them into a separate family. However, this is already the sphere of research of scientific specialists.
Appearance of the manto ray sea devil
The elegance and plasticity of the movement of the stingray evokes admiration, as if it were soaring like a magic flying carpet. sea depths. Manta rays (Manta birostris) are the most famous to science. Its size and amazing appearance have given rise to the creation of legends and stories about this extraordinary fish.
A group of manta rays following plankton At birth, the manta reaches more than one and a half meters in fin span, and when it grows, it can reach 8 meters and weigh more than 2 tons. It should be noted that the manta ray is not the largest species of ray; the primacy is occupied by the saw-tailed ray, the size of which reaches 7.6 m from the tips of the snout and tail. Due to the scope and massiveness of the manta's wings and fins, biologists consider it the largest stingray, a real sea giant.
The appearance of stingrays is unique; their body looks like a diamond-shaped carpet: black on top and bright white on the ventral side. Wide wing-fins, a short whip-shaped tail and the tips of the pectoral fins on the head in the form of horns, with which the stingray increases the flow of water into the oral cavity.
The manta ray is simply a giant for scuba divers, but absolutely safe for them Is the Devil Manto dangerous for humans?
The frightening appearance of manta rays due to their size and “horns” is deceptive; stingrays are safe for humans. However, even a slight flap of the wing fins can seriously injure a person. IN old times There were tales about the bloodthirstiness of manta rays. It was believed that he could grab a person, strangle him and eat him. But manta rays are not among the species of aggressive marine animals and never attack people.
Features of the manta ray
On their way to collect plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers.
Stingrays live in warm waters all oceans except the Arctic. They are more often found in the Indian Ocean, where they form entire schools. They usually hover in the water column, absorbing plankton harvest, and often rest near the surface, exposing the tips of their pectoral fins to the surface.
Interestingly, manta rays are the most “brainy” fish in the World Ocean. The specific gravity of the manta ray brain (relative to body weight) is the largest of the known to science fish It is possible that manta rays are the most “smart” fish on Earth.
Large manta rays have practically no predators; only parasites cause serious trouble, causing itching and pain by eating flesh. Small individuals often become victims of sharks and other marine predators. Due to the low speed of the manta, no more than 20 km/h,
The size of this harmless animal is truly amazing. The only predator that can attack the sea devil is large carnivorous sharks. Mantas have nothing as a defensive weapon. They do not have sharp spines, like stingrays, and do not produce electrical discharges, like some stingrays. Therefore, an attack could end tragically for a manta ray.
But people became convinced of the safety of these animals quite recently, and in the 60s of the 20th century. sea devils appeared before people in the form of bloodthirsty creatures. There were even feature films made where manta rays appeared as killers.
But after getting to know them better, it becomes clear that these are not killers. Manta rays feed on plankton, larvae and very small fish. They filter out this trifle in the manner of whales - swimming with their mouths wide open, they filter the water, leaving food in their mouths.
The sea devil's brain is larger than that of other rays or sharks. For their intelligence, flexible nature and tamability, manta rays enjoy well-deserved love among divers all over the world who come to the islands. Indian Ocean to swim side by side with manta rays. Besides, they are quite curious. When an interesting object appears on the surface, it floats up and drifts on the waves, observing what is happening. Maybe that’s why in ancient times the encounter of a boat with a huge “carpet” that looks at you with an interested gaze gave rise to a wary attitude towards the sea devil?
Another feature of the manta is its jumping above the water. It is not clear exactly what purpose the devil is pursuing, jumping 1.5 m above the surface of the water. His deafening landing of a 2-ton body can be heard for several kilometers around, and it is possible that this is the purpose of the jump - to attract a partner or to kill small surface fish?
By the way, the sea devil breeds very rarely. The female gives birth to one baby, which is born already longer than 1 m. The young devil is born curled up into a tube, but after leaving the mother’s womb, it immediately spreads its wings and begins to “fly” in circles around the adult female.
In captivity, sea devils are kept in only 5 large aquariums worldwide. Very good news is that, despite such rare births, they can be bred in captivity. In 2007, a sea devil was born in Japan. The birth of the baby was even shown on television, which emphasizes man's love for this truly beautiful animal. True, this love came late, but people are rehabilitating themselves before the sea devil.
Features and habitat of the manta ray
Sea 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. On Spanish the word “scat” means blanket, that is, the animal got its name because of the unusual shape of the body.
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 the 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 across the water. From the side you can see that the “spot” moves its body in waves and steers with its 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 deep water, stingrays 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 it does not develop fast speed. 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.