One of the largest and most legendary creatures of the underwater kingdom is the Sea Devil fish. In size, it is inferior to some whales, but not a single larger representative of this superclass of aquatic vertebrates in the depths of the seas and oceans was found. And the championship in myths and superstitions, debunked only recently, she holds for many centuries.
The discovery of the "sea devil"
Johann Valbaum, the German zoologist, doctor and naturalist, first described and gave the name to this animal. He named him Raja birostris; and this happened, by historical standards, not so long ago - in 1792. It should be noted that the history of these cartilaginous fish is the most confusing and vague compared to other living things: for two centuries they were given 25 species “names” and about a dozen genera. In modern science, the name Manta birostris is recognized. Until recently, it was believed that the fish "sea devil" - the only representative of giant manta rays. However, in 2009, another species was identified, Manta alfredi, which has significant differences in appearance, in development, and morphology, but similar in size, nutrition and lifestyle.
Legends and myths
The fish "sea devil" (photo above) got its nickname because of the peculiar shape of the head fins - they direct food to their mouths. From the side they look like horns; and given the considerable size of the individual, it is not surprising that she was terrifying sea travelers. Europeans swimming in tropical waters believed that if the devil fish was angry, it would sink the ship, and it would chase after it with unquenchable anger and perseverance. In the southeast of Asia, meeting the manta ray meant (and still means) imminent troubles and big troubles. It was believed that a huge flat body serves as a mantle for wrapping up an unfortunate prey with a view to absorbing it (according to another version - crushing, if a person offended the monster with something).
Fish "sea devil": description
The ramp has huge sizes of rhomboid pectoral fins - in large specimens their range reaches seven meters. In front, they pass into the head fins, between which there is a wide mouth. The eyes are located on the sides, and the gills - in the form of gaps - from the bottom of the head. The back of the sea devil is dark (black or densely gray), the belly is light. Moreover, scattering of spots is mandatory on it. It is noteworthy that their number and location are strictly individual - like a person’s fingerprints. As for weight, the body weight of a large individual sometimes reaches two and a half tons ...
Life in the ocean
No matter what they say, no matter what terrible stories they invent, the fish "sea devil" eats like whales - plankton and small crustaceans. For this purpose, her mouth is equipped with a special apparatus for filtering food, consisting of gill plates. Given the size of the manti, one should not be surprised that it 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 hunting cubs.
Due to the large area of ​​the body, the devil fish (photos make sure the magnificence of these inhabitants of the water column) constantly “bears” a huge number of parasites: bacteria, protozoa, algae, etc. This could be a serious problem, since they are peddlers (and sometimes pathogens) of various diseases. However, the fish "sea devil" is insured against such a disaster by the constant accompaniment of fish cleaners who bite off everything superfluous from it, including "cleaning" in the mouth, which during the "procedures" the ramp keeps open.
Unlike most ocean fish, manta rays are inhabitants of the upper water layers. They never go to great depths.
Reproduction of mantas
To continue the genus, giant ramps sail to the shores of Mozambique. Their mating season is in November. At this time, you can observe dozens of representatives of the species "sea devil". The description of their courtship, provided by many ocean scientists and amateur divers, characterizes this process as a very beautiful sight. Males follow the female ready for conception, and at high speeds, usually not characteristic of manta rays. The female "sea devil" gives birth to only one offspring; cases of twins are very rare. In the initial stages after hatching, the cub remains inside the mother and feeds on royal jelly. After birth, the fish "sea devil" in length has a meter and a quarter and a weight of about ten kilograms. A newborn baby follows his mother everywhere. The female leads the offspring irregularly - breaks occur in both two and three years.
Danger of extinction
As already mentioned, the fish "sea devil" has no serious natural enemies. But for her mortally dangerous person. The meat and liver of this marine inhabitant are considered a culinary delicacy, and the Chinese are also widely used in medicine. It is the Chinese fishermen who actively destroy the devil fish, visiting in November to the Mozambique coast. Considering how slowly the giant slopes reproduce, and the fact that this place was chosen by them for mating, it can be argued that until the waters near Mozambique become protected, the threat of extermination of manta rays will not disappear.
Mysteries of the "sea devil"
Despite the fact that the fish "sea devil" is actively studied, not all of its secrets are revealed by scientists. First of all, no one can say why they marry near Mozambique and where do they go after. The working hypothesis: these slopes are essentially migrants and simply “travel” wherever their eyes look.
No less a mystery remains their habit of jumping out of the water and falling back with a spray fountain. Various scientists have put forward several versions on this score:
- Such jumping is part of the courtship ritual.
- With the help of a body blow on water, the fish "sea devil" suppresses small inhabitants.
- Thus, the animal gets rid of annoying parasites.
Which of the hypotheses is true, perhaps, will become known in the future, of course, if humanity and this creature does not translate into the category of extinct.