12/17/2023 0 Comments Pink manta ray![]() During the last sighting in August 2019, he was observed involved in courtship behaviour so if we’re lucky there may be some baby pink mantas appearing soon. The pink manta has only been sighted at Lady Elliot Island 7 times, with the first sighting being back in October 2015. It is potentially an example of erythrism, where an animal’s skin, hair, feathers or fur exhibits a reddish pigmentation”. We are hoping to further investigate this individual to confirm our hypothesis, but our current understanding is that this colouration is a result of a different expression in the melanin, likely a result of a genetic mutation. “The individual appears healthy with no unusual or uncharacteristic behaviours, and given the persistence of the pigment over time, we have also ruled out infection. The manta has been sighted numerous times with no change in pigmentation so, although we have not conducted stable isotope analysis, we have ruled out diet as the cause” continues Ms. “Genetic analysis revealed no difference at the population level between this individual and others in its cohort. “Inspector Clouseau is the world’s only known chevron manta ray that has a black back and a bright pink belly.” Kathy Townsend explained that mantas come in three colour morphs – melanistic (all black), chevron (black back and white belly) and leucistic (pale grey back and white belly). “This was investigated for structural changes in the tissue, and was found to be consistent with samples from reef manta rays of regular colour morphology” explains Asia Armstrong.ĭr. He was first sighted back in 2015 off Lady Elliot Island, and in 2016 one of the Project Manta researchers, Amelia Armstrong, took a small skin biopsy of his underbelly (photo below). The pink manta, nicknamed Inspector Clouseau, is #900 in the Project Manta east coast photo ID database. ![]() The group has been visiting Lady Elliot Island for many years and gathering research to better understand these magnificent creatures. Project Manta is a multidisciplinary research collaboration focusing on the population ecology and biology of manta rays within Australian waters. We got in touch with Asia Armstrong and Kathy Townsend from Project Manta to learn more. Photo Credit: Amelia Armstrong, Project Manta This photo has received a wonderful response so we thought it was fitting to provide some more details on why our friend, Inspector Clouseau, is tickled pink. Habitat: Manta rays live predominantly in tropical and subtropical salt waters, while stingrays can also be found in warm temperate waters, as well as some species living in freshwater habitats.Last week, as part of our weekly #MantaMonday, we shared a photo taken by Kristian Laine of a very rare pink manta ray. Tail Stinger: Manta rays do not possess a stinger or barb on the tail. Stingrays on the other hand, are generally much smaller in size and are proportionately much longer in length than they are wide. Size: Manta rays are much larger is size, and are proportionately much wider than they are long. Manta rays are harmless plankton eaters that neither bite, sting nor charge. More importantly, the manta ray does no have stingers so in spite of it's size it is not a threat. The manta ray is quite a bit bigger than a sting ray. One of the main differences between the sting ray and the manta ray is size. What is the difference between a sting ray and manta ray? In fact, manta rays are very gentle and usually very shy, and they pose no threat to humans and most other organisms. Giant Pacific manta rays are often larger than people, leading to a widespread myth that these harmless fish attack divers. The largest manta ray wingspan ever recorded is 9.1 m (30 ft). The largest member of the ray family is the Atlantic manta ray (Mobula birostris), which has an average wingspan of 5.2–6.8 m (17–22 ft). What is the biggest manta ray in the world?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |