There are different legends about animals. Some are related to their habits, others to their appearance. So the manta ray is no exception.

The name of this animal, by the way, came about thanks to an old legend. The scientific name of the stingray is Manta birostris. And the word Manta means nothing else, but a blanket (cover).

Looking at giant size and the appearance of the animal, people thought that it wraps a person in its “blanket” and takes it to the bottom of the sea ... a terrible story. Only now, science has long proven that this legend is nothing more than a fiction, and in vain they blamed the stingray for all mortal sins, because it is not dangerous for a person.

Well, if the “veil” is more or less clear, then nothing is clear with the name “devil”. The poor animal did not deserve such name-calling, at least not from people. Well, just think - the front (pectoral) fins were transformed into rounded outgrowths ... no - give us all mysticism, people - it suddenly seemed that these outgrowths looked like the horns of the devil. So the unenviable name “giant” stuck to the fish.

What you can’t argue with is the “giant”. The stingray really reaches a huge size: the body length is about two meters, and the fins in the open state are as much as 8 meters!

But the huge size of these fish does not yet mean that they hunt big. Their main food is small fish and plankton. That's just how such meager dinners manta manages to "eat up" a mass of two tons - a real mystery!

In general, the process of eating food in this stingray is very peculiar. The fish opens its huge mouth wide, which in its open state can reach a meter in diameter, and with its "devil horns" rakes in food. Next (to oral cavity), through the "built-in" filtering apparatus, the stingray is gaining a mouthful of organisms floating in the water that make up its diet.

Manta rays live in tropical zones oceans. You can meet them, based on the "menu" of their diet, in the upper layers of the water, which is simply teeming with plankton. Well, so that the stingray was not too noticeable in the water, nature awarded it with a special color: light from below and black from above. With the help of such camouflage, the manta ray can not only swim unnoticed to food, but also hide from enemies.

Sharks are enemies of young manta rays.

Speaking of the natural enemies of the sea devil: adults should not especially worry about their immunity, but sharks are not averse to hunting for young sea stingrays.

Manta rays have a unique feature that makes them related to sharks: they can periodically jump out of the water, to a height of about one and a half meters above the surface. Just imagine what kind of splashes occur when this "carcass" flops back into the water! Such "somersaults" are heard for a long distance!

Swimming manta rays is a mesmerizing sight.

Manta rays are viviparous fish. They carry their offspring for exactly a year, after which, with the onset of childbirth, the cubs literally fly out of the body of the female. At the same time, the kids are rolled into a roll, and such a roll weighs 10 kilograms! The newborn "dummy" instantly unwinds and is immediately ready to follow mommy.

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 spikes like stingrays, and do not produce electrical discharges like some rays. Therefore, the attack can end tragically for the manta.

But a person 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. Were even removed art films, where the manti appeared as killers.

But getting to know them better, it becomes clear that they are not murderers. Manta rays feed on plankton, larvae and very small fish. They filter out this trifle in the likeness of whales - swimming with their mouths wide open, they filter the water, leaving food in their mouths.

The brain of the sea devil is larger than that of other rays or sharks. For their intelligence, docile nature and tameness, manta rays are well-deserved love among divers around the world who come to the islands. indian ocean to swim side by side with manta rays. In addition, they are quite curious. When an interesting object appears on the surface, it emerges and drifts on the waves, watching what is happening. Maybe that's why in ancient times the meeting of a boat with a huge "carpet" that looks at you with an interested look, and gave rise to a wary attitude towards the sea devil?

Another feature of the manta is its jumping over water. It is not clear exactly what the purpose of the devil is, 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 silence small surface fish?

By the way, breeding sea ​​Devil very rarely. The female gives birth to one cub, which is already born longer than 1 m. A young devil is born rolled into a tube, but, leaving the mother's womb, 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. The very good news is that, despite such a rare birth, they can be bred in captivity. In 2007, a sea devil was born in Japan. The birth of a baby was even shown on television, which emphasizes the love of a person for this truly beautiful animal. True, this love came belatedly, but people are rehabilitated before the sea devil.

The manta ray is world famous for its enormous size. In the widest part of the body - from one tip of the fin to the other - it can reach 7 meters. Moreover, its weight is about 2 tons.

Manti live in all warm seas and tropical waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans including the Mediterranean Sea.

The second name - "sea devil" - manta received for the head fins located along the edges of the oral fissure. While swimming, they twist into a tube and become like horns. These fins are essential for the stingray to hunt. While swimming, he directs a stream of water into his mouth, rich in plankton and small fish.

"Horns"

They travel long distances in search of food. Like, which, by the way, is its closest relative, mantas suck in water and pass it through many gill plates. After filtration, plankton and small fish remain on them. Then the entire catch is sent to the stomach.

Bottom view

Manta rays, unlike other rays, spend most of their lives in the upper layers of the open sea. Their swimming is amazing. It can be compared to the soaring flight of a huge bird in the air. The movements of his huge pelvic fins are so smooth and proportionate. Sometimes sea devils can be seen lying on the surface of the water.

In the habitats or migrations of these animals, sometimes an incredible spectacle unfolds above the surface of the water - the frisky jumping of these giants from the water and a deafening landing with a fountain of spray. Sometimes the roar from these jumps is heard at a distance of several kilometers. No one can say for sure what the purpose of these jumps is, but there is an assumption that in this way they attract partners to themselves or stun flocks of small fish.

In these places, you need to be careful not to swim close to their flock, as one of them may accidentally fall on a small boat and sink it. This is the only threat that can come from this underwater inhabitant.

One of these cases occurred quite recently - at the end of March of this, when, during a vacation in Florida, on a small yacht that she rented married couple with the children, a giant stingray jumped up and pressed the woman with all its weight. But everything ended well. The victim escaped with a fright and a couple of bruises, and the stingray was released back into the sea.

Previously, people believed that the stingray specifically attacks divers, clasping them with its huge fin, like a cloak, and dragging them to the bottom. By the way, it is for this reason that the stingray got its name "manta", which is translated from Spanish as "cloak".

Small flock of stingrays

The discovery of this animal occurred in 1792 and belongs to Johann Julius Walbaum, a German doctor, naturalist, zoologist and taxonomist.

Little is known about the reproduction process of these rays. The female brings one cub with a width of about 125 cm and a weight of 10 kg. While he is in the womb, he feeds on her milk. Childbirth occurs very quickly. The baby, one might say, flies out of the womb, rolled up into a tube. Then he spreads his fins and, together with the female, goes on a journey around the world.

These stingrays, despite their size, are quite vulnerable, especially young ones. They do not have any serious means of protection against their main enemies - sharks. They rarely attack adults, but they often have to be driven away from the cubs.

Manta rays are very curious, beautiful and non-aggressive animals, which arouse genuine interest among divers. Many of them dream of swimming next to these underwater inhabitants, and someone succeeds.

Sexual dimorphism at its finest. Demonstrates it devil fish. Male and female specimens 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:

1. Flattened body. It was as if he had been stepped on from above.
2. Big head. It accounts for 2 thirds of the animal.
3. Like a triangular body, sharply tapering towards the tail.
4. Almost invisible gill slits.
5. 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.
6. Sharp and recurved teeth.
7. Flexibility and mobility of the jaw bones. They move apart, like snakes, making it possible to swallow prey larger than the hunter himself.
8. Small, round and close-set eyes. They are reduced to the bridge of the nose, like a flounder.
9. 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.
10. 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. The ability to swim sea devils are 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:

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

eggs monkfish folded into a tape 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.

These marine animals have always fascinated me. Giants, Quiet, calm. They are like sea birds soaring in the abyss of the oceans. To be honest, when I first saw them, I couldn't take my eyes off them for a long time. But these harmless and calm animals are called anything but SEA DEVIL.

I suggest looking at them in more detail.

Few people have as many legends as about the sea devil. By the way, the unfortunate Amphibian Man from the science fiction novel by A. Belyaev was also considered a sea devil.

And in the Baltic, there was a legend about the Sea Bishop for a long time - they caught him a couple of times, delivered him to the king, tried to communicate in Polish and Latin (since the devil is obliged to know Latin!), And he was silent, looking at people with sad suffering eyes. But, they say, once he showed the Catholic priests with signs that he wanted to go home, at sea, they persuaded the king. The creature overshadowed those present with a cross (oh, these legends!) And disappeared into their native waters ...

Many legends about the sea devil exist in Japan. And in South-East Asia still meeting him is a bad omen. Although meeting - what is easier: both off the coast and in the open ocean, this is still a common occurrence. According to local beliefs, even if you happen to be caught, you must immediately let go, away from sin.

Manta rays are very different from others marine life their curiosity - they willingly make contact and show curiosity themselves. Now the manta ray is on the verge of extinction.

Manta rays are the largest living rays. The width of the body of individual individuals can reach more than 7 meters. People used to be afraid of manta rays and called them "manta sea devil", but in fact, manta rays are harmless giants. They feed only on plankton and small fish. However, manta rays are perhaps the smartest of all marine life. They have the largest brain, in relation to the total body weight, of all living fish. And it is not yet known why. Scientists don't know much about manta rays yet.

Each manta is born with a unique set of spots on its belly, characteristic only of its day. In November, manta rays gather off the coast of Mozambique for courtship and mating. When a female manta ray is ready to mate, she makes the males just chase after her, so you can often see a whole string of males chasing a large female. Sometimes it is one or two males, and sometimes there are as many as 12. They swim after the female around the reef at very high speeds, and repeat almost every movement of her.

This is a whole ritual, very beautiful and interesting. Typically, manta rays give birth to only one calf. Their pregnancy lasts 12 months. But the manta sea devil very rarely reproduces every year. Manta rays often take a year or two between pregnancies, probably to recuperate. This means that mantas are not capable of repopulation if their lives are threatened, for example, due to negative impact fishing industry. Given such a low reproductive capacity of mantas, there is a real danger of the complete extinction of this beautiful animal.

The presence of Chinese syndicates on the Mozambique coast raises serious concerns. Manta rays are highly valued in Chinese traditional medicine. And hunting them promises too great a profit for the local fishermen, who live in poverty, to resist it. Around the world, wherever manta rays are hunted, they are considered an endangered species.

Mozambican manta rays can only be safe if the coast receives the status of a marine reserve. More whale sharks can be seen in these waters than anywhere else in the world. Swim here regularly different kinds whales.

Until recently, it was thought that there was only one species of manta rays in the world. But recent observations have shown that there is another species - giant manta rays. They are much larger than ordinary manta rays - their body width can reach 7.5 meters. In addition, the pattern on their stomach has a much more pronounced color or shape.

The manta sea devil evolved from electric rays millions of years ago. It was believed that in the course of evolution they lost their sting. For smaller mantas, this is true. However, it was found that giant manta rays still possess the remnants of a stinging spike, which is located at the base of their tails. Therefore, giant manta rays can be distinguished as a separate species.

Where do the giant manta rays go after a brief stay in the coastal waters of Mozambique? It still remains a mystery. It is believed that manta sea devils are migratory animals, and are capable of covering vast distances. They spend most of their lives in the fish-rich waters of the Indian Ocean.

The name manta (lat. Manta birostris) is also from the realm of terrible legends. Indeed, translated from Spanish manta - mantilla, manto, cloak. The fish with its cloak (large and strong fins, similar to the wings or the hem of a cloak) hugged a person and dragged him to the bottom. These deadly embraces have long been attributed to the manta.
But in fact, the sea devil (like the Napoleon fish) is one of the safest creatures. There are no spikes, no electricity, no terrible teeth, an elongated lash tail is not armed with anything. And the character is not malicious, even good-natured. People are not attacked at all. Yes, and the manta moves gracefully, leisurely, even phlegmatic, rather, it soars, flies, flaps its wings. A mesmerizing spectacle…

True, the appearance of the manta is unusually impressive: the width of the body is from 4 to 7 meters, the weight is up to 2 tons. This is the largest and at the same time the most harmless of all types of rays. Manta rays can be seen in all tropical oceans, both in the water column or on the surface, and above the water. One of its famous features is impressive jumps in the air to a height of up to one and a half meters. So imagine. And the sound of falling back into the water can be heard for miles.

Why manta rays are so frolicking, jumping out of the water, is not exactly known. Either the mood is good, or the process of courtship is in full swing - and here any somersault-mortale is used, or is it such a topsy-turvy “shower” ...

According to rumors, the manta meat is tasty and nutritious, the liver is beyond praise. Manti recipes are found in ancient "cookbooks". But hunting for it is a rather dangerous occupation, it can turn the boat over, and drag it on a harpoon, and even pat it thoroughly, smash it into chips, such cases are known. Even with bullet wounds, the manta resists for a long time, fighting for life. Yes, and a painfully beautiful creature - we will survive without such an exotic cuisine.

Moreover, females are able to bring only one cub, however, also a solid size - up to 10 kilograms, meter. Which will very quickly grow into a beautiful huge monster. It will plow the seas and oceans, overcome great distances, delighting the eyes of lovers of such beauty: when it cleans its belly on a coral reef, when it puts the tips of its pectoral fins parallel out of the water, scaring to death (it painfully looks like the dorsal fins of sharks), when it jumps out of water, will almost somersault and with a crash plop into the water.

The largest of the stingrays, the body width of individual individuals reaches 7 m (in the bulk 4-4.5 meters), and the mass of large specimens is up to 2.5 tons.

The oral cavity of mantas is very wide and is located on cutting edge heads. On the sides of the mouth are two blades that direct the flow of water into the mouth. Like other stingrays, mantas have a developed filtering apparatus, consisting of gill plates on which food is filtered - planktonic crustaceans and small fish.

It was previously believed that manta rays could attack a diver, hugging them from above with their fins-wings and crushing them to death; There were also beliefs that a stingray could swallow a person. In fact, the only danger to a person comes from a manta ray jumping out of the water: it can accidentally fall on a boat or a swimmer with all its huge weight.

Man 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. Feature films were even made where manta rays appeared as killers.

The brain of the sea devil is larger than that of other rays or sharks. For their intelligence, docile nature and tameness, manta rays are well-deserved love among divers around the world who come to the islands of the Indian Ocean to swim side by side with manta rays. In addition, he is quite curious. When an interesting object appears on the surface, it emerges and drifts on the waves, watching what is happening. Maybe that's why in ancient times the meeting of a boat with a huge "carpet" that looks at you with an interested look, and gave rise to a wary attitude towards the sea devil?

How about this photo?

Another feature of the manta is its jumping over water. It is not exactly clear what the purpose of the devil is, jumping 1.5 m above the surface of the water. His deafening landing of a 2-ton body is heard for several kilometers around, and it is possible that this is the purpose of the jump - to attract a partner or to silence small surface fish?