Mantas must continue to move to survive, which means they never stop swimming. Like many species of shark, manta rays are constantly in motion. They possess the giant brains of any fish, filled with glial cells that are believed to be linked to intelligence. They seem to have unique personalities and show an interest in watching divers. Mantas’ gregarious and curious natures are supposed to be explained by their unique brain structure. Mantas are the most intelligent fish in the ocean. This is why touching Manta Rays in the wild are strictly prohibited because doing so will remove their protective mucous film.Ī basic rule is to avoid touching or picking up anything that lives in the ocean. Mantas are covered in a mucous film that shields them from dangerous microorganisms if this film is removed, it can leave the ray open to illness and damage their immune system. Here are ten fascinating facts about these unique creatures you should know before you dive in. Their long lifespan and slow reproduction rate mean that overfished populations struggle to recover properly. The rise in water temperatures, poorer water quality from sediment run-off, and overfishing threaten these species. Sadly like many marine creatures, Mantas are listed as vulnerable, which means their population decreases yearly. This stimulates coral growth and contributes to the preservation of coral reef health. Their feces are fertilizer when they return to the reef, giving the coral nutrients that are not present nearby. Mantas often travel between coral reefs and the deep ocean, where they eat a particular kind of zooplankton.
These gentle giants are essential to the ecosystems of our coral reefs. They are highly intelligent, gregarious creatures frequently sighted in the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Manta Rays are the most stunning creatures on earth, and witnessing them in person is a fantastic experience. They were able to identify common locations for feeding and mating, which can inform guidelines to better protect them from human impact.10 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know About Manta Rays The patterning on the underside of a manta ray is as distinct as a fingerprint, allowing the scientists to comb through thousands of such images and get more information about each ray’s movement and behavior. Researchers were able to identify more than 1,000 individuals thanks to diving photos from scientists as well as tourists. See “ Manta Ray Populations Have Complex Social Structures”Ī study published this week in PeerJ revealed that the waters of Komodo National Park off the coast of Indonesia-where it has been illegal to fish for manta rays since 2013-are home to a large aggregation of these manta rays. In order to better protect the species, scientists need to know more about their behavior, data that can be difficult to collect given the great distances the fish regularly travel. Females take 10 to 15 years to become sexually mature and then only breed every few years, producing one pup at a time, so population recovery is quite slow.
These gentle giants have few natural predators, but overfishing has landed the species on the International Union for Conversation of Nature’s (IUCN) endangered species list. Their pectoral fins, which look a lot like wings as they swim, can reach nine meters from tip to tip. Giant manta rays ( Mobula birostris) are some of the most iconic fish in the ocean.
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