It may have medicinal value.

Species Introduction

Overview

Manta rays (fú fèn) are generally flat[1], wider than long, up to 8 meters wide, and weigh 3000kg. The body is rhombus-shaped, with one end wide and flat; the snout is wide and flat; the pectoral fins are long and thick like wings, and there are two protruding cephalic fins differentiated from the pectoral fins in front of the head, located on both sides of the head; the tail is as long and slender as a whip, with A small dorsal fin, with one or more venomous stingers on the tail of some species; a wide mouth, located forward or downward; teeth are thin and numerous, arranged almost like a pavement; the upper and lower jaws have tooth bands, or the upper jaw has no teeth; the nostrils are well-shaped Located on the front two sides of the mouth, the water outlet opens at the corner of the mouth; the water outlet is small, triangular, located behind the eyes, away from the eyes. There is a considerable distance; the gill opening is wide; the girdle is deeply arcuate, and the pointed process is extended in the middle. Ovoviviparous. Fossils are found from the Tertiary Period to modern times.

The manta ray is a cartilaginous fish that lives at the bottom of tropical and subtropical seas. It is called the "underwater devil" by the locals, but in fact the manta ray is a very gentle animal. They feed mainly on plankton and small fish, and often cruise around coral reefs in search of food. It slowly flaps its large wings and swims leisurely in the sea, using its front fins and horns to push plankton and other tiny creatures into its wide mouth. When swimming, the head fins are rolled into a horn shape from bottom to outside, facing forward; sometimes they swim in groups, and males and females often go together. Mainly feeds on planktonic crustaceans, followed by groups of small fish. The gill rakers are polykeratinous and present a series of pinnate sieve plates, which filter water and retain food.

Characteristics

Manta rays are the largest species of rays. Although it is not aggressive, when disturbed,

Morphological characteristics (3 photos)

It is powerful enough to destroy small boats. Its size and strength often frighten divers, because once it gets angry, it can break a person's bones and kill them with just one beat of its powerful "wings". Manta rays also have very strange habits. It has a lively personality and often makes mischief. Sometimes it deliberately swims to the bottom of a small boat sailing in the sea, and beats the bottom of the boat with its body wings, making a "whoosh, crackle" sound, which scares the people on the boat; sometimes it runs to the boat moored in the sea, It hangs its horns on the anchor chain of the boat and pulls up the anchor, making people confused; or it hangs itself on the anchor chain of the boat with its head fins and drags the boat quickly across the sea. Running back and forth, the fishermen mistakenly thought it was the "devil" at work, but it was actually a prank played by the manta ray.

The smallest manta ray is the Australian spineless manta ray (Mobula diabolis), which is no more than 60 cm (2 feet) wide. The Atlantic manta ray (Manta birostris) is the largest species in this family, reaching a width of up to 7 meters (23 feet). Black or brown, powerful but harmless.

The "tail" of a manta ray (devil ray) may have a weak electric current but is not poisonous, while the "tail" of a stingray that is somewhat similar in shape is highly poisonous. Pay attention to the distinction to avoid misunderstanding.

Appearance

There are two fleshy legs on its head, which are its head fins. The head fins are turned forward and can rotate freely. This is what the manta ray uses. Use the head fins to drive away food

Morphological characteristics of manta rays (40 photos)

and push the food into the mouth to swallow it. In English, it is mistakenly called "manta ray", mainly because of its scary shape. When the manta ray swims, it flaps its triangular pectoral fins and drags a hard and slender tail, as if flying in the water. The adult manta ray can reach 7 meters in length and weighs 5,000 kilograms, but it can make a spinning jump. As the rotation speed becomes faster and faster, the manta ray rises rapidly and jumps out of the sea. Manta rays can generally jump 1.5 meters out of the water. During the breeding season, manta rays sometimes slap the water with their fins, leap into the air and do somersaults.

Classification

Mobula and Manta in the family Manta:

Several species of the genus Manta in the family Mobula Species: Spinless manta ray (Mobula diabolua)

Manta ray (4 photos)

, Taiwanese manta ray (Mobula formosana), Japanese manta ray (Mobula japonica).

The genus Manta (also known as the genus Manta) of the family Manta (also known as the genus Manta) is still being studied, and only three species have been found: Manta birostris (Note: One of the classifications divides the manta ray into The genus Manta is classified in the family Manta, and another classification includes both Manta and Manta in the family Manta), Manta ehrenbergii and Manta raya, and these three species are very similar. Therefore, it sometimes forms its own family, but most of the time it is merged with fish from the family Molidae. [2]

Biological characteristics

Manta rays mainly live in shallow sea areas in the tropics and subtropics.

They rarely stay or inhabit the seabed. They can be seen in the surface water layer to 120 meters deep.

They can be seen. Manta rays usually have a quiet and calm personality. They like to swim alone in the sea and live a wandering life where they are at home in all corners of the world. Moreover, they do not have any territorial behavior or aggression, and never attack other marine animals. When two manta rays meet, they will act as if nothing has happened. When encountering divers, they will often leave shyly. However, some curious individuals will be attracted by the bubbles exhaled from the oxygen tank and come forward, and like to have their bodies touched by humans - this is completely different from the notoriety of the "manta ray".

Although manta rays are large, they feed on plankton, crustaceans and small fish. They are opportunists who eat wherever they go. After discovering an area with abundant food, they swim back and forth in a straight line, concentrating the food in a relatively narrow area. The pair of rotatable cephalic fins on their heads are used when hunting. Its function is greater than that of teeth, and it can take a large amount of plankton into the big mouth.

Unique Behaviors

One of the most distinctive habits of the manta ray is its leaping stunt like "coming out of the sky"! Scientists observed that manta rays need to make a series of preparations before leaping out of the sea: they rise in the sea in a rotating swimming posture. As they approach the sea surface, their rotational speed and swimming speed continue to accelerate until they reach the sea surface. Jumping out of the water, sometimes accompanied by beautiful somersaults. At its highest, it can jump 1.5-2 meters high and make a loud bang when it falls into the water. The scene is beautiful and spectacular.

So, why does the manta ray jump out of the sea? Scientists have made various speculations about this behavior, and there are still different opinions to this day. Some people say that this is a flirting game performed by male and female manta rays during the breeding season; others believe that it is a way to drive away and trap food; most people believe that this is a way of self-cleaning to get rid of parasites and dead skin on the body. ; However, I learned from extracurricular books: This behavior is a unique action of the female manta ray when she gives birth. Many mysteries about manta rays await future observation and research.

Related pictures (7 photos)

Manta ray in maternal glory

On the coast of South America, with the bright moon in the sky and calm waves, a small boat slowly sailed forward OK. Suddenly, a monster flew out from under the water. The black mass was bigger than a round table! Before the people on the boat could see its true identity, it had fallen into the water and disappeared. But after a while, the monster emerged from the sea again and rose into the air, revealing its true form; it was a strange bat-like fish with a flat body. Like a stingray, it has well-developed pectoral fins, like bat wings, and a long tail trailing behind it. The most peculiar thing is that there is a pair of "horns" on the head. In fact, they are not horns, but fins.

The manta ray's head fin is not a decoration, it functions as chopsticks: it usually preys on microorganisms and plankton. The head fin can help form a water flow so that the microorganisms can slide smoothly into the mouth along the water flow.

Some fishermen are not familiar with the habits of this fish, which sometimes leads to fatal disasters; fishermen on a small fishing boat find a fish with a head fin and happily throw down the net. Now they are in trouble! I saw a huge fish emerge from behind, also with a pair of head fins, soaring into the air, like a flying general, and then came down like a "Taishan Mountain", and landed. The long tail dragged past the fisherman's body, and there was a loud bang. Sound and fall into the water.

The fisherman screamed, and blood suddenly appeared on his body, followed by a sharp pain. It turned out to be a female manta ray. She was swimming with her only son. When she saw danger, in order to protect her beloved only son, she jumped out of the water and attacked the enemy. There is a terrible weapon hidden in its tail - a sharp poisonous thorn, which will cause extraordinary pain after being stung by it.

It once happened that because of catching a baby manta ray, its mother overturned the small fishing boat in revenge.

A giant manta ray can be up to six meters wide and weigh 500 kilograms. When it "flies out" from underwater in the dark night and glides in the air, it looks really scary. No wonder people abroad call it the "Devil of the Sea." Its gliding ability is certainly not comparable to that of a flying fish, but it can "fly" over the masthead of a small sailboat. For such a large and bulky fish, this is no small feat.

The manta ray's gliding is sometimes caused by being bullied because of its only son, sometimes it is pursued by enemies, and sometimes it may be caused by parasites on its body, which makes it unbearable. Manta ray

Female manta rays are very protective of their only son. Unlike other fish, which can spawn tens of millions of eggs at a time, the sunfish can be said to be a highly productive fish and can spawn up to 300 million eggs at a time. Female manta rays do not lay eggs; they are ovoviviparous, which is rare among fishes. It only gives birth to one child at a time, so no wonder it loves its only son.

The baby manta ray weighs 20 kilograms and is about one meter long when it is born. People who don’t know this fish may think it is a big fish when they first see it. In fact, it is just a newborn baby. .

The ferocious shark also gave it three points

According to experts, manta rays have been in the ocean for 100 million years and are representatives of primitive fish, although they are all big guys. , but they mainly feed on plankton and small fish, often patrol around coral reefs for food, and have a gentle temperament. Although they are not aggressive, they are powerful enough to destroy small boats when disturbed. Manta rays may look intimidating, but they are actually very gentle and only feed on crustaceans or groups of small fish and shrimps. There are two fleshy legs on its head, which are its head fins. The head fins are turned forward and can rotate freely. The manta ray uses these head fins to drive away food and push the food into its mouth to swallow it. Because of its strong muscles, even the most ferocious sharks dare not attack it. Manta rays like to swim in groups, sometimes submerged on the seabed, and sometimes male and female pairs rising to the surface. During the breeding season, manta rays sometimes beat the water with their double fins, jump up and do somersaults in the air, and can jump out of the water and "glide" in the sky as high as a person above the water. When they fall into the water, the sound is like a cannon, spreading for miles, which is very strange. Spectacular. As for, why does the manta ray jump out of the water? It remains a mystery to this day. Manta rays can be seen in the South China Sea all year round, migrating to the coasts of Fujian and Zhejiang from June to July every year, and to the Yellow Sea from August to September. From October to November, they return to the coast of Zhejiang, and from December to February to March of the following year, they migrate back south along the original route. The meat is edible, the liver can be used to make oil, and the viscera and bones can be used to make fishmeal.

Species distribution

The English name "manta" of manta ray comes from Spanish, which means blanket. Just look at its size

You will know it. And because its elegant and elegant swimming posture in the sea is similar to that of bats flying in the night sky, it got its Chinese name: manta ray. People who see a manta ray for the first time are always at a loss because of its "alien" appearance. It is difficult for people to associate it with orthodox fish. In fact, this ancient fish appeared in the ocean as early as the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era. For more than 100 million years, their body shape has changed little.

From a taxonomic point of view, manta rays and sharks have the closest genetic relationship. They both belong to the class Chondrichthyes and belong to the family Mantaidae. There are 13 species in 3 genera and are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans between 35 degrees north and south latitude. sea ??area. Four species can be seen in the waters of eastern and southern China: Manta ray birhynchus, Japanese manta ray, Taiwanese manta ray and spineless manta ray.

Growth and Reproduction

The breeding season for manta rays is from December to April of the following year. At this time, the water temperature in tropical seas is between 26-29 degrees Celsius, and manta rays begin to appear in groups in shallow waters. Usually several smaller males follow the slightly larger females, swimming slightly faster than usual manta rays

. After 20-30 minutes of chasing, the female manta ray gradually slowed down, and the male manta ray swam under her lover and "caressed" her body with her pectoral fins. After a brief mating, the male stalks away, and the process is repeated with a second suitor. However, a female manta ray can only accept the pursuit of two "interested persons" at most - 1-2 fertilized eggs develop in the female's body and hatch into larvae. After about 13 months, the baby manta ray will be born directly from the mother's body. Soon You can swim freely and explore the world alone. Baby manta rays reach sexual maturity at age 5, and those of that age can continue their genes: their lifespan is about 20 years.

Due to the difficulty in carrying out statistics and surveys due to their vast habitat range, the number of manta rays in the wild has always been unknown. Manta rays have a very low reproduction rate and slow growth, and overfishing and pollution of their habitat will cause harm to their populations. In order to protect manta rays, some production areas have introduced measures such as bans on fishing. I hope that humans can eliminate misunderstandings about this "gentle strange fish" as soon as possible, and that their graceful and graceful leaps will appear more often on the sea.

Morphological differences

The smallest manta ray does not exceed 60 centimeters in length, while the largest can exceed 7 meters. Such as Atlantic Ocean

Carpet Ray. Atlantic blanket rays, also called giant manta rays, are so powerful that even ferocious sharks dare not do anything to them. Manta rays are also called carpet rays, which in English means devil rays. First, people think their heads are too weird, and second, people say they can eat people. In fact, this is an injustice to them. Some species can be found in Fujian, Zhejiang and the Yellow Sea in my country. Because they have the habit of migrating, they are not seen in one place all year round. It is along the coasts of Fujian and Zhejiang from June to July every year, and then to the Yellow Sea from August to September. From October to November, they return to the coast of Zhejiang, and from December to February to March of next year, they migrate south along the original route.

Medicinal and edible effects

The meat is edible, the liver can be used to make oil, and the viscera and bones can be used to make fish meal.

Related News

On September 2, 2012, fishermen in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province caught a manta ray known as the "Manta Ray" off the coast of Fujian. The fish weighed It weighs 2,000 pounds, has a huge body, and its pectoral fins are nearly 8 meters long. The manta ray was later cut up and shipped to the market.

According to

Captured manta rays (8 photos)

It is understood that manta rays are called "underwater devils", but they are actually a species of Very gentle animals. They feed mainly on plankton and small fish. There is a terrible weapon hidden in the tail - a sharp poisonous thorn, which will cause extreme pain after being stung by it. This ancient fish appeared in the ocean as early as the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era. For more than 100 million years, their body shape has changed little. With an average lifespan of 30 years, manta rays can give birth to up to 16 baby mantas in their lifetime. In order to protect manta rays, some production areas have introduced measures such as bans on fishing. [3]

[4]Due to the long reproductive cycle of manta rays, they are easily overfished. It takes eight to 10 years for a manta ray to reach sexual maturity. A manta ray with an average lifespan of 30 years can give birth to up to 16 baby manta rays in its lifetime. Ecological and environmental protection activists are pushing for the adoption of relevant international trade conventions to ban the sale of manta rays. [5]

Protection levels

The IUCN “Red List” is always consistent with the latest scientific findings. For example, scientists previously believed that there was only one kind of manta ray in the world, the reef manta ray, but people later discovered a new subspecies—the giant manta ray. Both animals are has been included in the "red list".

Giant manta rays are the largest species of rays. The adult manta ray can reach 7 meters in length and weighs 5,000 kilograms, but it can make a spinning jump. As the rotation speed becomes faster and faster, the manta ray rises rapidly and jumps out of the sea, just like a bat. Gliding through the sky. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the gill rakers of manta rays (the inner edge of each gill arch of bony fishes have two rows of bony protrusions, called gill rakers) have very high medicinal value, so manta rays The market price is very high, which is why it is hunted in large numbers by fishermen. Experts say it is necessary to regulate and regulate the manta ray market, in addition to protecting its main habitat.

Threats

Manta rays are threatened by some man-made threats. Manta rays must constantly refresh their gills with oxygen-rich water, leaving them vulnerable to entanglement and subsequent suffocation while swimming. Manta rays cannot swim backwards because of their prominent head fins, and they can easily be caught behind fishing lines, nets, or even loose mooring lines.

Manta rays will often try to release their somersaults and then entangle themselves. In the case of a loose, trailing line, it can cut it open as its fleshy appendage travels the line of the bat, eventually causing irreversible damage such as loss of the cephalic fin and damaged pectoral fins, or even death if the wound is severe enough. Likewise, manta rays often become entangled in gillnets used in coastal and pelagic fisheries, resulting in death from suffocation in most cases.

Bycatch and accidental mortality have the potential to severely impact slow-growing manta populations, and targeted fishing for manta rays is even more harmful. Over the past decade, the need for the tough cartilage structure of the ray's gill rakers to protect the gills and strain the plankton in the water has been growing in traditional Chinese medicine, but the traditional remedy that requires dry gill rakers has not been proven. As a result of growing demand in Asia, targeted fisheries are being developed around the world, including in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, West Africa, Central and South America. [26] Every year, thousands of manta rays are hunted purely for their gill rakers. A recent fisheries study in Sri Lanka estimated that more than a thousand ocean mantas are caught by their rakes in the country's fish markets every year. [27] In comparison, marine bat population key aggregation sites around the world are estimated to number less than 1,000 individuals [28] . Targeted fisheries for marine manta rays in the Sea of ??Cortez in the 1980s and 1990s wiped out the local population, which still has not recovered. Intense, targeted fisheries for manta rays have long-term adverse effects due to low reproductive rates and long lifespans of manta rays. [6]

Conservation

In 2011 Mantas became a strictly protected migratory species of wildlife (CMS) in international waters thanks to its recent membership in the Convention. CMS is an international treaty organization concerned with the protection and protection of migratory species and habitats around the world. Although individual states have protected the manta ray, it often migrates through unregulated waters, putting it at increased risk from overfishing.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) declared the giant manta ray as "vulnerable and at a high risk of extinction" in November 2011.

The Manta Trust is a UK-based charity dedicated to research and conservation work for manta rays. The organization's website [30] is also an information resource on bat conservation and biology. [6]

Blue Sphere, an American animal protection organization, took a set of beautiful underwater photos in 2013, showing a hot blonde and a manta ray* ** dance to call on people to strengthen the protection of this cartilaginous fish.

This group of photos is full of live feeling and exquisite pictures, and is named "The Last Dance of Manta Rays". Blue Planet explained that this year’s United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora conference is about to be held, which is held every three years. They hope that through this conference, manta rays will be included in the list of endangered animals that should be protected. The purpose of taking this set of photos is to create public opinion and call on the international community to better protect the manta rays, which are in danger of extinction.

The manta ray is a cartilaginous fish with a flat body and its body width is greater than its length. It can be up to 8 meters wide, and some

weigh hundreds of kilograms or even more. ton. The huge, weird-looking manta ray is actually a gentle fish that feeds on plankton and small fish. It is only because of its strange appearance that it is commonly known as "manta ray".