Manta ray or sea devil. Monkfish (anglerfish) Stingray sea devil 5

16.06.2019

Giant freshwater stingray June 17th, 2013

We all know about the manta ray or - the world's largest stingray, whose body width can reach 7 meters. But few people have heard about his giant freshwater counterparts. In length, they can grow up to 4.6 meters, and reach a width of 2 meters - Giant freshwater stingray or stingray (Latin Himantura Chaophraya) (Eng. Giant Freshwater Stingray)

The very existence of a giant freshwater stingray is shrouded in a veil of mystery. No one still knows exactly how many stingrays live in the tropical rivers of Malaysia, New Guinea, Indonesia and Thailand, in what conditions they live most comfortably, and whether they happen to go to the open sea, where their closest relatives live.

The habitat of these stingrays are the rivers of Thailand (Mekong, Meklong, Chaopraya, Tachin, Ban Pakong, Tapi), Indonesia - the Mahakam River basin on about. Kalimantan, Malaysia - Kinabatangan river in Sabah. They can also be found on the island of Borneo, New Guinea and Australia.

These ancient representatives of the class cartilaginous fish have hardly changed since their inception. Like millions of years ago, their brownish-gray body has retained a rounded shape, similar to a huge saucer, a long whip-like tail and a pair of small eyes. They still burrow into the sandy or muddy bottoms of tropical rivers, breathing through holes in their upper bodies. Here they lie in wait for their prey, crabs or shellfish, learning about their approach by the electrical signals they emit.

The body of the freshwater stingray is disk-shaped with a small triangular snout and a long, flexible tail. Sometimes the diameter of the disk can reach 2 meters. The weight of this giant is about 450-500 kilograms. The upper side of the slope is brown in color, and the lower one is white color with small gray or brown stains on the sides. The skin on the “back” feels like sandpaper to the touch.

In front of the body are small eyes, gill covers and a mouth armed with many teeth. On the skin around the nose and mouth on the underside there is a kind of sensory sensor that allows you to capture the magnetic and electric fields of other living beings. This device facilitates the process of finding food. Using the sensor, the stingray can easily detect prey hiding at the bottom of the river or hiding in dark and muddy water.

Freshwater stingray has in its arsenal terrible weapon- 2 powerful and sharp spikes located on the tail. Each of them has its own purpose. A large internal spike is used to hold the prey. It works on the principle of a harpoon, i.e. the thorn can go into the victim's flesh like clockwork, but a lot of notches prevent it from being pulled back out. The blow of the tail of this stingray is so strong that it can pierce even the bottom of the boat with a large spike. Therefore, no rubber boots or a wetsuit will not save a diver from his weapon. The length of this spike can reach 38 centimeters.

The stingray swings its tail very skillfully and almost always hits the target. In fairness, it is worth saying that the stingray does not just attack. To do this, he needs to be disturbed or grabbed quite strongly.

The second spike is smaller. Its main purpose is to inject poison, which is very dangerous for humans and can lead to death. The venom is like thick dark mucus. It passes through a special groove leading from the poisonous glands.

The basis of the stingray food is fish, mollusks, crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates.

As for the reproduction of these fish, these rays are viviparous. The female gives birth to one cub about 34-35 centimeters long.

And although stingrays do not attack people for no reason, however, ordinary contact with them is not always safe. At the base of the tail of the river giant there is a long (up to forty centimeters) poisonous spike, which easily pierces not only the skin, but also the bones of a person. There are cases when a giant freshwater stingray turned over the boats of its overly persistent pursuers.

In Thailand, a female stingray of unprecedented size was caught. It took 13 adult men to drag the sea dweller into the boat.

A giant stingray was caught in the waters of the Maeklong River. For almost an hour and a half, the fishermen struggled with him, lifting him on board. When the monster nevertheless managed to be dragged into the boat, the researchers were delighted: they were lucky to get the largest specimen ever. Its weight was 350 kg, and its dimensions were two by two meters, not counting the three-meter tail.
The giant turned out to be a female, moreover, a pregnant one. The lady was treated with respect. Specialists working under the International Conservation Union's endangered fish conservation program placed it in a pool where DNA samples were taken. After a painless procedure, the mother was released back into the river.

By the way
Giant rays are dangerous. From poison like sea monster famous Australian explorer dies wildlife Steve Irwin. It happened in 2006 off the coast of Australia in the Coral Sea near the Great Barrier Reef.

In the gloomy depths of the seas and oceans, such monsters lurk that you were afraid to even think about. Stinging with poisonous spikes, shocking - they are still the most unexplored inhabitants of the water expanses of our planet. Now you will read the most interesting facts about stingrays, what little we know about them at the moment.

The stingray is one of the most dangerous creatures oceans. A 15 cm spike hidden in its tail easily pierces the victim or drives away the offender. The notches on the spike make the wound lacerated and incompatible with life, and after the attack, the spike remains in the victim's body. In addition, it is poisonous and can even kill a person.
The manta ray occasionally jumps out of the water to the surface.. The height of these jumps reaches three meters. Scientists suggest that in this way, manta rays, like schooling fish, give a certain signal to the rest of the flock.
Sea devils, otherwise called manta rays, despite their impressive size reaching two tons, are harmless in nature. Lacking poisonous thorns, they often become victims of their own relatives - sharks. But they best friends for curious divers who can swim side by side with these giants.
Rays are directly related to sharks.. These two varieties are the most famous representatives a class of cartilaginous fish that do not have a bony skeleton. Although they are predators, plankton and small crustaceans living on the ocean floor are enough for them to feed.
Female sea devil bears only one cub for one year. It is born weighing more than 10 kilograms and about one meter in size. After that, the female loses all interest in him, and the newborn sets off for free swimming.
During the period mating games, up to twenty males gather near the female manta. going on peculiar dance when the males repeat after the female all her movements. As a result, the most skilled male gets the right to copulate, which lasts only a minute and a half.
In regions where electric rays live, locals and tourists hold peculiar sessions traditional medicine. It is believed that if you receive a series of discharges from such a ramp, you can cure many diseases, such as arthritis or back pain.
The strength of the current discharge after being hit by an electric ramp is theoretically enough to cause death to a person. True, the history of such cases does not know, because it is quite difficult to get such a blow by accident. The slope must be large sizes, and a person needs not just to touch it with a finger, but practically hug the fish.
[b] Marble electric rays, the heart contracts only 15 times per minute, which allows them to burrow into the sand and lie on the bottom without moving for several days. Low oxygen content in water and high pressure not a hindrance to these born hunters.
The spines of the stingrays were used in ancient times by the tribes of the countries of the Pacific basin as arrowheads and spears. In addition, they were saturated with poison, which brought additional damage to the enemy.
Sea cats are the only species of stingrays that live in Russia and Ukraine, in the Black and Seas of Azov . Like all stingrays, it is poisonous. That does not interfere with its industrial fishing. Stingray meat is considered a delicacy in many countries, and liver sea cat rich in vitamin D.
Motoro - the most common freshwater stingray. For its relatively small size - the maximum length with a tail - 1 m, diameter - up to 30 cm, has gained popularity among aquarists around the world. True, by getting yourself such pet, it is worth remembering that the spikes on his tail are as poisonous as those of his "wild" relatives.
It is a mistake to believe that these fish are found exclusively in warm waters . The habitat of the Northern stingray and Smooth (diamond) stingray extends up to the bottom of the Northern Arctic Ocean and the seas around it.
Sawfish - the oldest fossil mesozoic era, the extraction of which is prohibited. Revered by the Aztecs, some Asian peoples. The saw served as a sacred symbol, with the help of which it was possible to cast out spirits and cure diseases.
Steve Irwin, a television presenter from Australia, was killed on the set of his program by a stingray thorn hitting him right in the heart.

"Blanket" or "cloak", this is how the Spanish word "scat" is translated. The sea devil is also called this majestic and absolutely safe animal.

Taxonomy of manta rays

Manta ray - sea Devil

Manta rays belong to the order Dasyatiformes stingrays (according to other sources - to the order of bracken - Myliobatidae). In the genus Manta, they are the only species in the manta family. Systemators have not yet come to a single opinion about the presence of some orders of stingrays. Some sources point to the existence of an order of eagle rays, including the family of stingrays, others distinguish them into a separate family. However, this is already the field of research of scientists.

Appearance of the mantle ray of the sea devil

The elegance and plasticity of the movement of the stingray is admirable, as if it were floating in a magical flying carpet. sea depths. Manta Rays ( Manta birostris) are the best known to science. The size and amazing appearance have led to the creation of legends and stories about this extraordinary fish.

A group of manta rays follow plankton

Manta already at birth reaches more than one and a half meters in the span of fins, and growing up, it can reach 8 meters and weigh more than 2 tons. It should be noted that not the manta most large view stingrays, the primacy is occupied by sawfly stingrays, the size of which reaches 7.6 m from the tips of the snout and tail. For the scope and massiveness of the wings-fins of the manta, biologists consider it the largest stingray, a real marine 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 wings-fins, a short whip-shaped tail and the tips of the pectoral fins on the head in the form of horns, with which the slope increases the flow of water into the oral cavity.

The manta ray is just a giant for scuba divers, but absolutely safe for them.

Is manto the devil dangerous for a person?

The intimidating appearance due to the size and “horns” of the manta is deceptive, the stingrays are safe for humans. However, even a slight flap of the fins-wings can seriously injure a person. In former times, there were tales about the bloodthirstiness of manta rays. It was believed that he could grab a person, strangle and eat. But manta rays do not belong to the species of aggressive marine animals and never attack people.

Features of the sea devil manta

In the way for accumulations of plankton, stingrays can travel thousands of kilometers.

Stingrays live in the warm waters of all oceans except the Arctic. They are most often found in Indian Ocean where they form whole flocks. Usually they soar in the water column, absorbing the plankton crop, often resting near the surface, exposing the tips of their pectoral fins to the surface.

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 of known to science fish. It is possible that manta rays are the smartest fish on Earth.

Large mantas have practically no predators, only parasites cause serious trouble, causing itching and pain, 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,

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 fixture. 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-part dorsal. 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 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 are 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.

Above the endless expanses of the ocean, you can see a bewitching sight: 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 sight.

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 the winged stingrays do an impressive somersault before a loud landing on the water surface. Cases have also been recorded of animals being stranded on land in whole flocks. 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.