Fish "sea devil" - food, living conditions, reproduction

One of the biggest and legendary creatures of the underwater kingdom is the fish "sea devil". In size, it is inferior to some whales, but none of the larger representatives of this subclass of aquatic vertebrates in the depths of the seas and oceans was found. And even the primacy of myths and superstitions, debunked only recently, it has held for many centuries.

The discovery of the "sea devil"

For the first time described and gave the name to this animal Johann Valbaum - German zoologist, physician and naturalist. He referred to him as Raja birostris; And it happened, historically, not so long ago - in 1792. It should be noted that the history of these cartilaginous fishes is most confusing and vague, compared with other living creatures: over two centuries they were given 25 species "names" and a dozen generic ones. In modern science, the name Manta birostris is recognized. Until recently, it was believed that the fish "sea devil" - the only representative of giant mantles. However, in 2009, another species was identified, Manta alfredi, which has significant differences in appearance, development and morphology, but similar in size, nutrition and lifestyle.

Legends and myths

Fish "sea devil" (photo above) received its nickname because of the peculiar shape of the head fins - by them it directs food to the mouth. From the outside they look like horns; And if we take into account the considerable size of the individual, it is not surprising that she was terrifying the sea travelers. Europeans, who swam in tropical waters, believed that if the angry fish-devil was angry, she would sink the ship, and pursue it with unquenchable rage and perseverance. In the southeast Asia to meet the mantle meant (and still means) swift trouble and great trouble. There was an opinion that a huge flat body serves as a mantle for enveloping unfortunate prey to absorb it (according to another version - crushing, if a person insulted a monster with something).

Fish "sea devil": description

The ramp has huge, large, rhomboid pectoral fins - in large specimens their reach reaches seven meters. In front, they pass into the cephalic fins, between which is a wide mouth. Eyes are located on each side, and gills - in the form of cracks - from below the head. The back of the sea devil is dark (black or dense gray), the belly is light. And on it is necessary a scattering of spots. It is noteworthy that their number and location are strictly individual - like fingerprints in humans. As for weight, the body weight of a large specimen sometimes reaches two and a half tons ...

Life in the ocean

Whatever they say, no matter how terrible stories are invented, the fish "sea devil" eats like whales - plankton and small crustaceans. For this purpose, her mouth is equipped with a special apparatus for straining food, consisting of gill plates. Given the size of the mantle, it is not surprising that she is forced to eat almost continuously.

The natural enemies of these creatures are killer whales and large sharks. They attack adults only if they are injured and sick, but they are actively hunted for the young.

Because of the large area of the body, the devil fish (photos make sure of the majesty of these inhabitants of the water column) constantly "carries" on itself a huge number of parasites: bacteria, protozoa, algae, etc. This could be a serious problem, because they are Peddlers (and sometimes pathogens) of a variety of diseases. However, the fish "sea devil" is insured against such a disaster by constant accompaniment of fish-cleaners who bite off all unnecessary, including "cleaning" and in the mouth, which during the "procedures" the ramp keeps open.

Unlike most ocean fishes, manti are inhabitants of the upper water layers. They do not descend to great depths ever.

Reproduction of mantles

For the continuation of the genus, giant stingrays sail to the shores of Mozambique. They have their mating season for November. At this time, dozens of representatives of the species "sea devil" can be observed there. The description of their courtship, provided by many ocean scientists and amateur divers, characterizes this process as a very beautiful sight. The males follow the whole line of the ready-to-conceive female, and at high speeds, usually not typical for mantas. The female "sea devil" gives birth to only one offspring; The occurrence of twins is very rare. At the initial stages after hatching the baby remains inside the mother and feeds on royal jelly. After birth, the fish "sea devil" in length has a meter with a quarter and a weight of about ten kilograms. A newborn baby follows mother everywhere. The female leads the offspring irregularly - there are breaks in two, and three years.

Danger of disappearance

As already mentioned, the fish "sea devil" has no serious enemies. But for her a man is mortally dangerous. Meat and liver of this marine inhabitant are considered a culinary delicacy, and the Chinese are also widely used in medicine. It is Chinese fishermen who actively destroy the devil fish, visiting in November to the Mozambican coast. Given how slowly the giant rays multiply, and the fact that this is the place chosen by them for mating, it can be argued that until the waters near Mozambique become protected, the threat of extermination of mantles will not disappear.

Mysteries of the "sea devil"

Despite the fact that the fish "sea devil" is actively studied, not all its secrets are revealed by scientists. First of all, no one can say why they marry near Mozambique and where they disappear afterwards. Working hypothesis: these skates are inherently migrants and simply "travel" where their eyes look.

No less mystery is their habit of jumping out of the water and splashing back with a fountain of spray. Different scientists put forward several versions on this score:

1. Such jumps are part of the ritual of courtship.
2. With the impact of the body on water, the fish "sea devil" silences small inhabitants.
3. Thus, the animal gets rid of bored parasites.

Which of the hypotheses is true, perhaps, will become known in the future, of course, if humanity and this being does not translate into the category of extinct.