Posts Tagged ‘Rajiformes’
Giant Manta Ray Fish
This is truly the giant among 1. rays, the biggest living species and one of the so-called devil rays. Apart from its size, it is distinguished by strange paddle-like fins or lobes projecting from the front of its body, with the eyes on either side. These lobes look threatening, but are merely scoops that the ray unfurls when feeding, to direct food into its large, rectangular mouth. Giant mantas feed mainly on plankton - floating organisms - and some schooling fish. In spite of their size, they sometimes leap out of the water; this may be part of their courtship ritual, which is known to involve one or more males chasing a female for up to 30 minutes before mating.
Scientific name : Manta birostris
Classification : Order Myliobatiformes (great rays); sometimes included in Rajiformes
Family : Myliobatidae; sometimes placed in separate family Mobulidae
Size : Up to 8m (26ft) wide and possibly up to 3 tonnes
Distribution : Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas
Habitat : Surface waters, mainly near shores and reefs, but also in open ocean
Diet : Mainly plankton; some small and medium-sized fish
Reproduction : Ovoviviparous; one or two young; gestation period uncertain
Common Eagle Ray Fish
Eagle rays are aptly named, because their pectoral disc is much wider han it is long, so the fish appears to have wings. They are also (along with the manta rays; much more active swimmers than most other rays, ‘flying’ through the water by flapping their wings, and even leaping into the air. They use their flat, plate-like teeth to crush crustacean and mollusc shells. The common eagle ray has a venomous tail spine but is not regarded as dangerous. The huge spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari), up to 3m (10ft) wide, is common worldwide in the tropics and subtropics, including waters off the southern and south-eastern USA.
Scientific name : Myliobatis aquila
Classification : Order Myliobatiformes (great rays); sometimes included in Rajiformes
Family : Myliobatidae
Size : Up to about 1.8m (6ft) wide
Distribution : Eastern Atlantic from British Isles to South Africa; Mediterranean
Habitat : Temperate and tropical coastal waters; offshore to 300m (1000ft) deep
Diet : Mainly bottom-living crustaceans and molluscs; also fish
Reproduction : Ovoviviparous; three to seven young born after 6-8-month gestation