Manta or giant sea devil (manta birostris). Stingray sea devil Manta sea devil message

13.06.2019

Sexual dimorphism at its finest. Demonstrates it devil fish. Male and female individuals of this deep-sea creature, as if from different worlds. Females reach 2 meters in length and have an outgrowth-lantern on their heads.

sea devil fish

It shines in the water column, attracting prey. The males of the devil are 4 cm long, devoid of a lighting device. It's not the only one interesting fact about deep sea creation.

Description and features of the devil fish

Devil fish in the photo seems awkward. Many are repelled by the appearance of the animal, for which it was compared with the devil. From standard devil fish are distinguished:

Flattened body. It was as if he had been stepped on from above.
Big head. It accounts for 2 thirds of the animal.
Like a triangular body, sharply tapering towards the tail.
Almost imperceptible gill slits.
A wide mouth, swinging open to the entire circumference of the head. The upper jaw is more mobile than the lower. The latter is pushed forward. The fish seems to have a snack.
Sharp and recurved teeth.
Flexibility and mobility of the jaw bones. They move apart, like snakes, making it possible to swallow prey larger than the hunter himself.
Small, round and close-set eyes. They are reduced to the bridge of the nose, like a flounder.
Two piece dorsal fin. Its back is near the tail and is soft. The anterior region of the fin is equipped with 6 hard ribs-thorns. Three of them go to the head. The anterior ray is shifted to the jaw and has a thickening. It is called eskoy, serves as a home for luminous bacteria.
The presence of skeletal bones in the pectoral fins. This partially gives them the function of legs. Devils move on their fins along the bottom, crawling or jumping in a peculiar way. Ability to swim sea devils also not deprived. Fins also help to burrow into the ground, hiding from prying eyes.

Caspian sea devil

Devil fish food

All sea Devils- predators. As an exception, fish rise to the surface of the water, hunting for herring and mackerel. Sometimes sea devils grab birds swaying on the waves. But usually bottom predators hunt at the bottom, catching there:

bearded devil

squid and other cephalopods
gerbils
stingrays
cod
flounder
acne
small sharks
crustaceans

Devils wait for the victims of fish, hiding at the bottom. The light of the "lantern" of a predator attracts the inhabitants of the depths. When potential victims touch the esca, the devil opens his mouth abruptly. A vacuum forms in its area, the pressure changes. Those who swim by are literally drawn into the mouth of the fish. Everything about everything takes 6 milliseconds.

Reproduction and lifespan

Sea devil - fish, which merges with a partner in the truest sense of the word. A miniature male bites a female. She begins to secrete enzymes that ensure the fusion of two bodies. Even the blood vessels are united. Only the testicles remain "untouched".

Random photo of a sea devil that for some reason floated to the surface

One female can be bitten by several males. So the female gets the maximum supply of sperm. Such a mechanism has ensured the survival of the devils for millions of years. The species is considered relic.

The process of conception and childbearing in devil fish has not been studied in detail. It interferes with the deep-sea lifestyle of anglers. So the animals are called because of the "lanterns" glowing on their faces. They swing in the water like floats, and the “tackle” function is similar to that of an ordinary fishing rod.

american sea devil

Anglerfish start breeding:

At the end of winter, if they live in southern latitudes.
In the middle of spring or early summer, if they live in northern areas.
At the end of summer, if we are talking about the Japanese anglerfish.

Monkfish eggs are folded into a ribbon 50-90 centimeters wide. The length of the canvas reaches 12 meters. The tape is 0.5 cm thick and consists of:

mucus forming 6-sided compartments
the eggs themselves, enclosed one by one in a compartment

Devil fish caviar ribbons drift freely in the water column. One sheet contains 1-3 million capsules with embryos. Embryos are surrounded by fat. He does not allow the masonry to settle to the bottom. The mucous cells are gradually destroyed, and the eggs swim separately.

West Atlantic Devil

The anglerfish fry that are born are not flattened from above, like adults. You can see the cubs at the surface of the water, where they live for the first 17 weeks of life. After the animals sink to the bottom. There, anglers will have to live for another 10-30 years, depending on the type of fish.

Manta Ray - sea giant , the largest among the known stingrays, and perhaps the most harmless. Due to its size and formidable appearance, many legends have been composed about it, which are mostly fiction.

The dimensions of the manta are very impressive, adults reach 2 meters, 8 meters is the span of the fins, the weight of the fish is up to two tons. But not only the large size gives the fish a formidable look, the head fins, in the process of evolution, stretched out and resemble horns. Perhaps that is why they are also called "sea devils", although the purpose of the "horns" is more peaceful, stingrays use their fins to direct plankton into their mouths. The mouth of a manta reaches one meter in diameter.. Thinking to eat, the stingray swims with its mouth wide open, with its fins it drives water into it with small fish and plankton. In the mouth of the stingray there is a filtering apparatus, the same as that of whale shark. Through it, water and plankton are filtered, food is sent to the stomach, the skate releases water through the gill slits.

Habitat manta rays a tropical waters all oceans. The back of the fish is painted black, and the belly is snow-white, with an individual number of spots for each individual, thanks to this color it is well camouflaged in the water.

In November, they have mating time, and divers observe a very curious picture. The female swims surrounded by a whole string of "admirers", sometimes their number reaches twelve. The males swim after the female high speed repeat every movement after her.

The female bears a cub for 12 months, and gives birth to only one. After that, he takes a break for one or two years. What explains these breaks is unknown, perhaps this time is needed to restore strength. The process of childbirth proceeds in an unusual way, the female quickly releases the cub rolled up into a roll, then it unfolds its fins-wings and swims after the mother. Newborn manta rays weigh up to 10 kilograms and are one meter long.

The brain of a manta is large, the ratio of the weight of the brain to total weight the body is much larger than that of other fish. They are smart and very curious, easily tamed. On the islands of the Indian Ocean, divers from all over the world gather to swim in the company of the manta ray. Often they show their curiosity at the sight of an unknown object on the surface, emerge, drift nearby, observe the events taking place.

In natural nature, the sea devil has almost no enemies, with the exception of carnivorous sharks, and even they attack almost only young animals. Except large sizes the sea devil has no protection from enemies, the stinging spike is characteristic of electric rays they are either absent or present in a residual state and pose no threat to anyone.

Giant stingray meat is nutritious and tasty, liver is a special delicacy. In addition, meat is used in Chinese traditional medicine. Hunting them is beneficial to poor local fishermen, although it is associated with a considerable risk to life. The manta ray is considered a critically endangered species..

There was a belief that manta rays were able to attack a person in the water, wrap their fins around them, drag them to the bottom and swallow the victim. AT South-East Asia meeting with the sea devil was considered a bad sign and promised many misfortunes. Local fishermen, having accidentally caught a cub, immediately released it. Perhaps that is why the population with low reproduction has survived to this day.

In fact, a manta ray can only harm a person when it descends into the water after jumping out of the water. With its large body, it can hook a swimmer or a boat.

Jumping over water is another amazing feature giant stingrays. The jump reaches a height of 1.5 meters above the surface of the water, and then, followed by a dive with the strongest noise caused by the body of a two-ton giant hitting the water. This noise can be heard at a distance of several kilometers. But, according to eyewitnesses, the spectacle is magnificent.

Giant stingrays are also beautiful under water, easily flapping their fins, like wings, as if they are floating in the water.

Only five of the largest aquariums in the world have sea devils. And there is even the case of the birth of a cub in captivity, in a Japanese aquarium in 2007. This news spread around all countries and was shown on television, which testifies to the love of man for these amazing creatures.

Monkfish, or anglerfish, is a predatory marine bottom fish that belongs to the class ray-finned fish, subclass new-finned fish, infraclass bony fish, order anglerfish, suborder anglerfish, family anglerfish, genus anglerfish (large anglerfish), or sea devils (lat. Lophius).

Etymology Latin name sea devils not fully elucidated. Some scientists are of the opinion that it came from a modified Greek word"λοφίο", denoting a crest that resembles the jaws of this fish. Other researchers associate it with a kind of ridge that runs along the entire back. vernacular name"angler" appeared thanks to a long and modified first beam dorsal fin, equipped with a bait (escoy) and resembling a fishing rod. And thanks to the unusual and unattractive appearance of the head of a predator, he was nicknamed "monkfish". Due to the fact that anglerfish can move along the seabed, pushing off from it with somewhat modified fins, in some countries anglers call them.

Monkfish (fish) - description, structure, photo. What does a monkfish look like?

Sea devils are rather large predatory fish that live at the bottom and reach a length of 1.5-2 meters. Monkfish weigh 20 or more kilograms. The body and huge head with small gill slits are rather strongly flattened in the horizontal direction. In almost all types of anglerfish, the mouth is very wide and opens almost around the entire circumference of the head. The lower jaw is less mobile than the upper jaw and is slightly pushed forward. Predators are armed with rather large sharp teeth that are bent inwards. Thin and flexible jaw bones enable fish to swallow prey that is almost twice their size.

Monkfish eyes are small, set close to each other, located on the top of the head. The dorsal fin consists of two parts separated from each other, one of which is soft and shifted towards the tail, and the second is composed of six rays, three of which are located on the head itself, and three immediately behind it. The anterior spiny ray of the dorsal fin is strongly shifted towards the upper jaw and is a kind of “rod”, at the top of it there is a leathery formation (esca), in which luminous bacteria live, which are bait for potential prey.

Due to the fact that the pectoral fins of the monkfish are reinforced with several bones of the skeleton, they are quite powerful and allow the fish not only to burrow into the bottom soil, but also to move along it by crawling or using peculiar jumps. The pelvic fins are less in demand in the process of movement of the angler fish and are located on the throat.

It is noteworthy that the body of the anglerfish, painted in dark gray or dark brown colors (often with randomly arranged light spots), is covered not with scales, but with various spike-like outgrowths, tubercles, long or figured leathery fringe, similar to algae. Such camouflage allows the predator to easily ambush in algae thickets or on a sandy bottom.

Where does the anglerfish (monkfish) live?

The range of distribution of the genus anglerfish is quite extensive. It includes the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean, washing the shores of Canada and the United States of America, the eastern Atlantic, whose waves beat on the shores of Iceland and the British Isles, as well as the cooler depths of the North, Barents and Baltic Seas. Separate varieties of monkfish are found near the coasts of Japan and Korea, in the waters of the Okhotsk and yellow sea, in the eastern part Pacific Ocean and in the Black Sea. Anglerfish also live in the depths of the Indian Ocean, covering the southern tip African continent. Depending on the species, sea devils live at depths from 18 meters to 2 kilometers or more.

What does the anglerfish eat?

By way of feeding, sea devils are predators. The basis of their diet is fish that live in the bottom water column. Gerbils and small stingrays and small sharks, eels, flounders, cephalopods(squid, cuttlefish) and various crustaceans. Sometimes these predators rise closer to the surface of the water, where they hunt for herring or mackerel. Including cases were noted when anglers attacked even birds peacefully swaying on the sea waves.

All sea devils hunt from ambush. Due to their natural camouflage, they cannot be seen when they lie motionless on the bottom, buried in the ground or hiding in thickets of algae. A potential victim is attracted by a luminous bait, which is located at the monkfish at the end of a kind of rod - an elongated ray of the front dorsal fin. At the moment when crustaceans, invertebrates or fish passing by touch the esca, the angler sharply opens its mouth. As a result of this, a vacuum is formed, and the flow of water, together with the prey that does not have time to do anything, rushes into the mouth of the predator, because the time it takes does not exceed 6 milliseconds.

Taken from: bestiarium.kryptozoologie.net

While waiting for prey, monkfish fish are capable of for a long time remain absolutely still and hold your breath. The pause between breaths can last from one to two minutes.

It used to be that the “fishing rod” of the monkfish with bait, which is movable in all directions, serves to attract prey, and anglers open their large mouth only when curious fish touch the esque. However, scientists were able to establish that the mouth of predators automatically opens, even if the bait touches any object passing by.

Angler fish are quite greedy and voracious. This often leads to their death. Having a large mouth and stomach, the anglerfish is able to capture enough big booty. Because of the sharp and long teeth, the hunter cannot let go of his prey, which does not fit in his stomach, and chokes on it. There are cases when in the stomach of a caught predator, fishermen found prey only 7-10 cm smaller than the monkfish itself.

Types of sea devils (anglers), names and photos.

The genus of anglers (lat. Lophius) today includes 7 species:

Lophius americanus (Valenciennes, 1837) - American anglerfish (American monkfish)
Lophius budegassa (Spinola, 1807) - black-bellied anglerfish, or South European anglerfish, or Budegassa anglerfish
Lophius gastrophysus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1915) – West Atlantic anglerfish
Lophius litulon (Jordan, 1902) - Far Eastern monkfish, yellow anglerfish, Japanese anglerfish
Lophius piscatorius (Linnaeus, 1758) - European monkfish
Lophius vaillanti (Regan, 1903) - South African anglerfish
Lophius vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1837) - Cape (Burmese) monkfish

Below is a description of several types of anglers.

- this is a dimersal (bottom) predatory fish, having a length of 0.9 m to 1.2 m with a body weight of up to 22.6 kg. Thanks to its huge rounded head and body tapering towards the tail, the American angler resembles a tadpole. The lower jaw of a large wide mouth is strongly advanced forward. It is noteworthy that even with a closed mouth, this predator has visible lower teeth. Both the upper and lower jaws are literally dotted with sharp, thin teeth, inclined deep into the mouth and reaching a length of 2.5 cm. Interestingly, in the lower jaw, almost all monkfish teeth big size and arranged in three rows. On the upper jaw, large teeth grow only in the center, and in the lateral areas they are smaller, in addition, there are small teeth at the top oral cavity. Gills, devoid of covers, are located immediately behind pectoral fins. The eyes of a small monkfish are directed upwards. Like all anglers, the first ray is elongated and has a leathery outgrowth that glows due to bacteria that have settled there. The leathery coverings of the back and sides are colored in chocolate-brown tones of various shades and are covered with small light or dark spots, while the belly has an off-white color. The life expectancy of this species of monkfish can reach 30 years. The distribution range of the American anglerfish includes the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths up to 670 m, stretching from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Quebec to the northeastern coast of the North American state of Florida. This predator feels great in waters with temperatures from 0°C to +21°C on sandy, gravel, clay or silty bottom sediments, including those covered with destroyed shells of dead mollusks.

reaches a length of 2 meters, and the weight of individual individuals exceeds 20 kg. The entire body of these predators is flattened in the direction from the back to the belly. The size of the wide head can be 75% of the length of the entire fish. The European monkfish has a huge crescent-shaped mouth, with large quantity thin, pointed, slightly hook-shaped teeth, and a lower jaw that is significantly pushed forward. Slit-like gill openings are located behind the wide, skeletal-reinforced pectoral fins that allow European anglers to move along the bottom or burrow into it. The soft, scaleless body of these bottom-dwelling fish is covered with a variety of bone spikes or leathery growths of various lengths and shapes. The same "decorations" in the form of a beard border the jaws and lips, as well as side surface heads of European monkfish. The posterior dorsal fin is opposite the anal. The front dorsal fin consists of 6 rays, the first of which is located on the anglerfish's head and can reach a length of 40-50 cm. At its top there is a leather "pouch" that glows in the dark layers of the bottom water. The coloration of individuals varies somewhat depending on the habitat of these fish. The back and sides, covered with dark spots, can be painted in brown, reddish or greenish-brown tones, in contrast to the abdomen, which has a white color. The European monkfish lives in the Atlantic Ocean, washing the coast of Europe, from the coast of Iceland to the Gulf of Guinea. These "cute creatures" can be found not only in the cold waters of the Northern, Baltic and Barents Seas or in the English Channel, but also in the warmer Black Sea. European anglers live at depths from 18 to 550 m.

In structure and form, this species marine fish it is very close to its European relative, but unlike it, it has a more modest size and a head that is not so wide relative to the body. The length of the monkfish ranges from 0.5 to 1 meter. The structure of the jaw apparatus is no different from individuals of other species. This type of monkfish gets its name from its characteristic black belly, while its back and sides are painted in various shades of reddish brown or pinkish gray. Depending on the habitat, the body of some individuals may be covered with dark or light spots. Leathery outgrowths of yellowish or light sandy color, bordering the jaws and head of the black-bellied anglerfish, are short and rather sparse. The life expectancy of the black-bellied monkfish does not exceed 21 years. This species has become widespread in the waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean throughout the entire space - from Great Britain and Ireland to the coast of Senegal, where the anglerfish lives at depths from 300 to 650 m. kilometers.

is a typical inhabitant of the waters of the Japan, Okhotsk, Yellow and East China Seas, as well as a small part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, where it occurs at depths ranging from 50 m to 2 km. Individuals of this species grow up to 1.5 meters in length. Like all representatives of the genus Lophius, the Japanese monkfish has a horizontally flattened body, but unlike its relatives, it has more a long tail. Sharp, bent to the pharynx teeth in the lower, advanced jaw, arranged in two rows. The leathery body of the yellow anglerfish, covered with numerous outgrowths and bony tubercles, is painted in a single color. Brown color, on which light specks are randomly scattered with a darker stroke. In contrast to the back and sides, the belly of the Far Eastern monkfish is light. Dorsal, anal and ventral fins have a dark color, but light tips.

Cape angler, or Burmese monkfish, (lat. Lophius vomerinus) it is distinguished by a huge flattened head and a rather short tail, which occupies less than one third of the length of the entire body. The size of adults does not exceed 1 meter. Their life expectancy is no more than 11 years. The Cape angler lives at depths of 150 to 400 m in the southeastern Atlantic and western Indian Ocean, along the coasts of Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. The light brown body of the Burmese monkfish is strongly flattened from the back towards the abdomen and is covered with a fringe of numerous leathery outgrowths. The esca, located at the top of the long first ray of the dorsal fin, resembles a patch. Gill slits are located behind the pectoral fins and slightly below their level. Bottom part body (abdomen) lighter, almost white.

Above the endless expanses of the ocean, you can see a bewitching spectacle: huge stingrays, like giant birds, break out of the water column and fly over the surface. This phenomenon is extremely rare 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. In the largest winged rays of this species, the body width can reach 9 meters. Animals often live in areas rich in zooplankton, which serves as food for them. Most often they are found in coastal areas, near coral reefs, islands or underwater peaks. Winged rays live in flocks or individually.

The animals were first described by the German zoologist Johann Walbaum in 1792. Studies conducted since then have established that mantas 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

Mantas have a dark dorsal surface that can be cast black, blue or brown. Light spots located on top of the back form a kind of hook. The abdomen of animals is light. Representatives of this species come across, having only a black color, diluted with the only white spot on the whole body.

Manta rays feed on plankton by 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 shark.

Scientists have not yet been able to establish 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, getting their own food: when, after a jump, a stingray lands on the surface of the water, a deafening sound is heard that spreads for kilometers. None of the versions has been proven, so it remains only to guess why the manta rays are rushing into the sky, and admire this amazing spectacle.

Sea devils look great not only while flying over water. They impress with their gracefulness while swimming. Animals move slowly, flapping their huge fins from time to time, like wings.

reproduction

Winged stingrays give birth to a live baby who does not need parental care. After mating, one or two eggs are laid in the womb of the female. After some time, babies appear from them, which continue to develop in the womb of the mother. The entire gestation period can last from 12 to 13 months.

Mantas usually give birth in two years. There are times when a female has a baby every year. Winged rays reach sexual maturity at the age of 8 to 10 years. On average, manti live for about 50 years.

Interaction with people

For a long time it was believed that manti posed a danger to humans. People made up horror stories that winged stingrays, like vampires, drink the life out of a person, wrapping themselves around him with their huge fins. Some have even claimed that manta rays can easily swallow humans. In fact, animals are very peaceful. They do not attack divers, let alone boats. Only their huge size inspires fear in people.

Mantas have been brutally destroyed by people for many years. They were caught for different purposes:

animals were killed out of fear and a mistaken idea of their danger;
stingray meat is used for cooking;
Souvenirs are made from some parts of the body;
in alternative medicine In China, gill rakers of manta rays are in demand.

Winged rays are very rarely kept in captivity. Only the largest aquariums can afford to have this amazing animal. In the Japanese Aquarium, manta rays have even begun to breed. This allows biologists to establish the most favorable living conditions for winged rays.

Sea devils are often confused with other winged rays - mobuls. These animals are really very similar and have minor differences in body structure. Mobuls are inferior to mantas 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.

Mobuls, like mantas, sometimes fly over water. The height of the jump can reach 3 m. Sometimes you can see how winged stingrays do an impressive somersault before a loud landing on the water surface. Cases have also been recorded of animals stranded on land in droves. Despite all the efforts of biologists, it was not possible to determine exactly why the rays are thrown onto land. In most cases, scientists are inclined to believe that environmental degradation is the cause of this behavior.

Manta or giant sea devil is a species of stingrays of the eponymous genus of the bracken family of the caudal-shaped order, the superorder of stingrays. Members of the subfamily Mobulinae, to which manta rays belong, are the only vertebrates with 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 thick clear water the manta 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 huge size and amazing appearance, which caused the appearance of various legends, stories and tales about this amazing fish from the most ancient times.

The appearance and size of the manta is truly unique. Even a newborn "dummy" reaches more than 150 cm in fin span, and an adult can reach almost 8 m in wingspan and weigh more than 2 tons! This is a real sea giant.

In fairness, it should be said that the manta is not the champion among stingrays in terms of body length - the podium in this competition is occupied by sawfly stingrays, some species of which reach 7.6 m from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail. The body of a manta does not grow longer than 2 meters. But due to the massiveness and breadth of the wingspan-fins, the manta, according to the unanimous opinion of biologists, is considered the largest stingray of known to science.

The appearance of this fish does not allow confusing it with any other stingray or marine animal. Her body resembles a diamond-shaped carpet, black on top and pure white on the ventral side. Broad wings formed by the pectoral fins, a whip-like 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 manta need increased water circulation in the mouth? Yes, for the simple reason that these rays are plankton-eating marine animals, like whales, cetaceans and giant sharks. Even the mouth of a manta ray resembles the mouth of a whale shark in shape, 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 onto the water is heard like thunder and can be heard for several miles. Manta is completely safe for humans, because it is not aggressive. However, touching her skin, covered with small spikes, is fraught with bruises and abrasions.

In the way for accumulations of plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers. The stingrays live in warm waters all oceans except the Arctic. They are most often found in Indian Ocean where they form whole flocks. Usually they hover in the water column, absorbing the plankton crop, often resting 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 coast they often bask on the surface of the water or circle lazily. 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 oceans. The specific gravity of the manta brain (relative to body weight) is the largest fish known to science. It is possible that manta rays are the smartest fish on Earth.

The main danger for the manta is a person. The stingray meat is tasty and the liver is rich in fat. Therefore, in their habitats, handicraft fishermen and sports fishermen hunt manta rays. Get huge fish from the water is not easy, therefore it is prestigious. This leads to a drop in the number of manta rays, which causes concern among conservationists. Currently, work is underway on artificial breeding these animals in captivity. In 2007, a manta calf was born for the first time in the Okinawa Aquarium (Japan).