Sea Devil. Sea devil or Manta ray

A couple of days ago we looked at a sea animal with interest - Let's go down to the depths again and watch someone else there.

These sea animals have always fascinated me. Giants, Quiet, calm. They are like seabirds soaring in the depths of the oceans. I’ll be honest, when I first saw them in the video, I couldn’t take my eyes off them for a long time. But these harmless and calm animals are called nothing other than SEA DEVIL.

I suggest you look at them in more detail.

Few people have as many legends about them as the sea devil. By the way, the unfortunate Amphibian Man from A. Belyaev’s science fiction novel 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, brought him to the king, tried to communicate in Polish and Latin (since the devil is obliged to know Latin!), but he was still silent, looking at people with sad, suffering eyes. But, they say, one day he showed the Catholic priests with signs that he wanted to go home to the sea, and they persuaded the king. The creature crossed those present (oh, these legends!) and disappeared into its native waters...

Many legends about the sea devil exist in Japan. And in Southeast Asia, meeting him is still a bad omen. Although it’s easier to meet: both off the coast and in the open ocean this is still a common occurrence. According to local beliefs, even if you happen to catch it, you must immediately release it, out of harm’s way.

Manta rays They are very different from other marine inhabitants in their curiosity - they willingly make contact and show curiosity themselves. Now manta ray was on the verge of complete extinction.

Manta rays are the largest living rays. The body width of some individuals can reach more than 7 meters. Previously, people were afraid of manta rays and called them " manta ray", but actually manta rays- harmless giants. They feed only on plankton and small fish. At the same time, manta rays are perhaps the most intelligent of all marine inhabitants. They have the largest brain, relative to the total body mass, of all living fish. And it is still unknown why. Scientists still know little about manta rays

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

This is a whole ritual, very beautiful and interesting. Typically, manta rays give birth to only one calf. Their pregnancy lasts 12 months. But manta ray very rarely reproduces every year. Manta rays They often take a year or two off between pregnancies, probably to recuperate. This means that manta rays are not capable of restoring their population if their life is under threat, for example, due to the negative impact of fishing. Given such a low reproductive rate of manta rays, 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 ray meat is highly valued in Chinese folk medicine. And hunting them promises too much profit for local fishermen living in poverty to resist. Around the world, wherever manta rays are hunted, they are considered a critically endangered species.

The safety of Mozambican manta rays can only be ensured 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. Various species of whales regularly swim here.

Until recently, it was believed that there was only one species of manta ray 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 belly has a much more pronounced color or shape.

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

Where do the giant ones go? manta rays after a short stay in the coastal waters of Mozambique? This still remains a mystery. It is believed that manta ray- migratory animals, and are able to cover 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. After all, translated from Spanish, manta means mantilla, cloak, cloak. The fish, with its cloak (large and strong fins, similar to wings or the flaps of a cloak), hugged the person and dragged him to the bottom. Such deadly embraces have long been attributed to the manta ray.

But in fact, the sea devil (like the Napoleon fish) is one of the safest creatures. There are no spikes, no electricity, no creepy teeth, the elongated tail-lash is not armed with anything. And the character is not malicious, even good-natured. People are not attacked at all. And the manta moves gracefully, leisurely, even phlegmatically; rather, it soars, flies, flaps its wings. A fascinating sight...

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

Why manta rays frolic so much, jumping out of the water, is not known exactly. Either the mood is good, or the process of courtship is in full swing - and then any somersault-mortale comes into play, or this is such a “shower” topsy-turvy...

Manta meat is rumored to be tasty and nutritious, the liver is beyond praise. Recipes for manti dishes are found in ancient “cookbooks”. But hunting for it is quite a dangerous task, it can capsize a boat, drag it with a harpoon, and even seriously beat it up, smash it to pieces, such cases are known. Even with bullet wounds, the manta resists for a long time, fighting for life. And it’s a painfully beautiful creature - we’ll survive without such exotic cuisine.

Moreover, females are capable of bringing only one cub, however, it is also quite large - up to 10 kilograms, one meter long. Which will very quickly grow into a beautiful, huge monster. It will plow the seas and oceans, cover vast distances, pleasing the eyes of lovers of such beauty: when it cleans its belly on a coral reef, when it sticks the tips of its pectoral fins parallel out of the water, scaring them to death (it looks too much like the dorsal fins of sharks), when it jumps out of water, almost somersaults and splashes into the water with a roar.

The largest of the stingrays, the body width of some 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 manta rays is very wide and located on the front edge of the head. On the sides of the mouth there are two blades that direct the flow of water into the mouth. Like other stag rays, mantas have a developed filtering apparatus, consisting of gill plates on which food is filtered - planktonic crustaceans and small fish.

Previously, it was believed that manta rays could attack a diver, hugging them from above with their fin-wings and crushing them to death; There were also beliefs that a stingray could swallow a person. In fact, the only danger to humans comes from a manta ray jumping out of the water: it can accidentally collapse on a boat or swimmer with all its enormous 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. There were even feature films made where manta rays appeared as killers.

The sea devil's brain is larger than that of other rays or sharks. Due to their intelligence, flexible nature and tamability, manta rays are well-deserved among divers around the world who come to the islands of the Indian Ocean to swim side by side with manta rays. Besides, he is quite curious. When an interesting object appears on the surface, it floats up and drifts on the waves, observing what is happening. Maybe that’s why in ancient times the encounter of a boat with a huge “carpet” that looks at you with an interested gaze gave rise to a wary attitude towards the sea devil?

What do you think of this photo?

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

source

Sexual dimorphism at its finest. Shows it off devil fish. Male and female individuals of this deep-sea creature seem to be from different worlds. Females reach 2 meters in length and have a lantern-like growth on their head.

Sea devil fish

It shines in the water column, attracting prey. Male devils are 4 cm long and lack a lighting device. This is not the only interesting fact about the deep-sea creature.

Description and features of devil fish

Devil fish in the photo seems awkward. Many are repulsed by the appearance of the animal, for which he was compared to the devil. Devil fish are distinguished from standard fish by:

1. Flattened body. It was as if someone had stepped on him from above.
2. Big head. It accounts for 2 thirds of the animal.
3. A sort of triangular body, sharply tapering towards the tail.
4. Almost invisible gill slits.
5. Wide mouth, opening over the entire circumference of the head. The upper jaw is more mobile than the lower jaw. The latter is pushed forward. The fish seems to have a snack.
6. Sharp and curved teeth inside the mouth.
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 brought down to the bridge of the nose, like a flounder.
9. Two-part dorsal fin. Its back part is located at the tail and is soft. The anterior area of ​​the fin is equipped with 6 hard spine-ribs. Three of them go to the head. The anterior ray is shifted towards the jaw and has a thickening. It is called an esca and serves as a home for glowing bacteria.
10. 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. Sea devils are also not without the ability to swim. The fins also help bury themselves in the ground, hiding from prying eyes.

Caspian sea devil

Eating devil fish

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 rocking on the waves. But usually bottom predators hunt at the bottom, catching there:

bearded devil

• squids and other cephalopods
• gerbils
• stingrays
• cod
• flounder
• blackheads
• small sharks
• crustaceans

Devils wait for fish victims, hiding at the bottom. The light of the predator’s “lantern” attracts the inhabitants of the depths. When potential victims touch the esku, the devil suddenly opens his mouth. A vacuum forms in its area and the pressure changes. Those swimming by are literally sucked into the mouth of the fish. Everything takes 6 milliseconds.

Reproduction and lifespan

Sea devil - fish, which merges with the partner in the literal sense of the word. A miniature male bites a female. It begins to secrete enzymes that ensure the fusion of the two bodies. Even blood vessels are united. Only the testicles remain “intact”.

Random photo of a sea devil that for some reason surfaced

One female can be bitten by several males. This is how the female gets the maximum supply of sperm. This mechanism ensured the devils' survival for millions of years. The species is considered relict.

The process of conception and childbirth in devil fish has not been studied in detail. The deep-sea lifestyle of anglerfish interferes. The animals are named this way because of the glowing “lanterns” on their faces. They swing in the water like floats, and the function of “tackle” is similar to that of a regular fishing rod.

American sea devil

Anglerfish begin to reproduce:

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

Monkfish eggs are folded into a ribbon 50-90 centimeters wide. The length of the canvas reaches 12 meters. The thickness of the tape is 0.5 centimeters and consists of:

• mucus forming 6-sided compartments
• the eggs themselves, enclosed one piece per compartment

Devil fish caviar ribbons drift freely in the water column. One sheet contains 1-3 million capsules with germs. Embryos are surrounded by fat. It prevents the masonry from settling to the bottom. The mucous cells are gradually destroyed, and the eggs float separately.

West Atlantic devil

The anglerfish fry that are born are not flattened on top, like adults. The cubs can be seen at the surface of the water, where they live for the first 17 weeks of life. Afterwards the animals sink to the bottom. Anglers have to live there for another 10-30 years, depending on the type of fish.

Monkfish, or anglerfish, is a predatory sea bottom fish that belongs to the class ray-finned fish, subclass new-finned fish, infraclass bony fish, order anglerfish, suborder anglerfish, family anglerfish, genus anglerfish (large anglerfish), or sea devils (lat. Lophius ).

The etymology of the Latin name for monkfish is not fully understood. Some scientists are of the opinion that it comes from a modified Greek word "λοφίο", meaning a ridge that resembles the jaws of this fish. Other researchers associate it with a kind of ridge running along the entire back. The popular name “anglerfish” appeared due to the long and modified first ray of the dorsal fin, equipped with a bait (eska) and resembling a fisherman’s fishing rod. And thanks to the unusual and unattractive appearance of the predator’s head, it was nicknamed “monkfish”. Due to the fact that angler fish can move along the seabed, pushing off from it with slightly modified fins, in some countries fishermen call them.

Monkfish (fish) – description, structure, photo. What does monkfish look like?

Sea devils are fairly large predatory fish that live on the bottom and reach a length of 1.5-2 meters. The weight of monkfish is 20 kilograms or more. The body and huge head with small gill slits are quite strongly flattened in the horizontal direction. In almost all species of anglerfish, the mouth is very wide and opens almost over the entire circumference of the head. The lower jaw is less mobile than the upper jaw and is slightly pushed forward. Predators are armed with rather large sharp teeth that are curved inward. Thin and flexible jaw bones enable fish to swallow prey that is almost twice their size.

The monkfish's eyes are small, set close together, and located on the top of the head. The dorsal fin consists of two parts separated from each other, one of which is soft and shifted towards the tail, and the second is folded into six rays, three of which are located on the head itself, and three immediately behind it.

The anterior spiny ray of the dorsal fin is strongly shifted towards the upper jaw and represents a kind of “rod”; on its top there is a leathery formation (esca), in which luminous bacteria live, which are bait for potential prey.

Due to the fact that the pectoral fins of the monkfish are reinforced by several skeletal bones, they are quite powerful and allow the fish not only to burrow into the bottom soil, but also to move along it by crawling or using peculiar jumps. The pelvic fins are less in demand during the movement of the angler fish and are located on the throat.

It is noteworthy that the body of the anglerfish, painted in dark gray or dark brown colors (often with chaotically located light spots), is covered not with scales, but with various spine-like projections, tubercles, and long or curly leathery fringe, similar to algae. This camouflage allows the predator to easily set up an ambush in thickets of algae or on a sandy bottom.

Where does the anglerfish (monkfish) live?

The distribution area of ​​the genus of anglerfish is quite extensive. It includes the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the shores of Canada and the United States of America, the eastern Atlantic, whose waves crash against the shores of Iceland and the British Isles, and the cooler depths of the North, Barents and Baltic seas. Certain species of monkfish are found near the coasts of Japan and Korea, in the waters of the Okhotsk and Yellow Seas, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and in the Black Sea. Anglerfish also live in the depths of the Indian Ocean, which covers the southern tip of the African continent. Depending on the species, sea devils live at depths from 18 meters to 2 kilometers or more.

What does monkfish (anglerfish) eat?

In terms of feeding, sea devils are predators. The basis of their diet consists of fish that live in the bottom layer of water. The stomachs of anglerfish include gerbils and small stingrays and small sharks, eels, flounders, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish) and various crustaceans. Sometimes these predators rise closer to the surface of the water, where they hunt for herring or mackerel. Including cases where anglerfish even attacked birds peacefully rocking on the sea waves.

All sea devils hunt from ambush. Thanks to their natural camouflage, it is impossible to notice them when they lie motionless on the bottom, buried in the ground or hidden in thickets of algae. Potential prey is attracted by a luminous bait, which is located at the end of a kind of fishing rod - an elongated ray of the anterior dorsal fin. The moment a passing crustacean, invertebrate or fish touches the esky, the monkfish sharply opens its mouth. As a result of this, a vacuum is formed, and a stream of water, along with the victim, who does not have time to do anything, rushes into the mouth of the predator, because the time it takes does not exceed 6 milliseconds.

Taken from the site: bestiarium.kryptozoologie.net

While waiting for prey, the monkfish fish is able to remain absolutely motionless for a long time and hold its breath. The pause between breaths can last from one to two minutes.

Previously, it was believed that the monkfish “fishing rod” with bait, movable in all directions, serves to attract prey, and anglerfish open their large mouths only when they touch the fishing rod of curious fish. However, scientists were able to establish that the mouth of predators automatically opens, even if any object passing by touches the bait.

Angler fish are quite greedy and gluttonous. This often leads to their death. Having a large mouth and stomach, the monkfish is capable of capturing fairly large prey. Because of the sharp and long teeth, the hunter cannot let go of his prey, which does not fit in his stomach, and chokes on it. There are known cases when fishermen found prey in the belly of a caught predator that was only 7-10 cm smaller than the monkfish itself.

Types of monkfish (anglerfish), names and photos

The genus of anglerfish (lat. Lophius) currently includes 7 species:

1. Lophius americanus (Valenciennes, 1837) – American anglerfish (American monkfish)
2. Lophius budegassa (Spinola, 1807) – black-bellied anglerfish, or southern European anglerfish, or budegassa anglerfish
3. Lophius gastrophysus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1915) – Western Atlantic anglerfish
4. Lophius litulon (Jordan, 1902) – Far Eastern monkfish, yellow anglerfish, Japanese anglerfish
5. Lophius piscatorius (Linnaeus, 1758) – European monkfish
6. Lophius vaillanti (Regan, 1903) – South African anglerfish
7. Lophius vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1837) – Cape (Burmese) monkfish

Below is a description of several types of anglerfish.

• American monkfish (American anglerfish) ( Lophius americanus)

This is a dimersal (bottom-dwelling) predatory fish, having a length from 0.9 m to 1.2 m with a body weight of up to 22.6 kg. Thanks to its huge rounded head and body tapering towards the tail, the American anglerfish resembles a tadpole. The lower jaw of the large wide mouth is strongly pushed forward. It is noteworthy that even with its mouth closed, this predator’s lower teeth are visible. Both the upper and lower jaws are literally studded with sharp thin teeth, inclined deep into the mouth and reaching a length of 2.5 cm. Interestingly, in the lower jaw, the monkfish’s teeth are almost all large and arranged in three rows. On the upper jaw, large teeth grow only in the center, and in the lateral areas they are smaller, and there are also small teeth at the top of the oral cavity. The gills, lacking covers, are located immediately behind the pectoral fins. The eyes of the small monkfish are directed upward. Like all anglerfish, the first ray is elongated and has a leathery growth that glows due to the bacteria that have settled there. The leathery coverings of the back and sides are colored chocolate brown in various shades and covered with small light or dark spots, while the belly is dirty white. The lifespan of this species of monkfish can reach 30 years. The distribution area of ​​the American anglerfish includes the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to 670 m, stretching from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Quebec to the northeastern coast of the North American state of Florida. This predator thrives in waters with temperatures from 0°C to +21°C on sandy, gravel, clay or silty bottom sediments, including those covered with destroyed shells of dead mollusks.

• European anglerfish (European monkfish) ( Lophius piscatorius)

It reaches a length of 2 meters, and the weight of individual individuals exceeds 20 kg. The entire body of these predators is flattened from the back to the belly. The size of the wide head can be 75% of the length of the entire fish. The European monkfish has a huge crescent-shaped mouth with a large number of thin, pointed, slightly hooked teeth, and a lower jaw that is significantly pushed forward. Slit-like gill openings are located behind the wide, skeletal-reinforced pectoral fins that allow European anglerfish to move along or burrow along the bottom. The soft, scaleless body of these bottom-dwelling fish is covered with a variety of bony spines or leathery growths of various lengths and shapes. The same “decorations” in the form of a beard border the jaws and lips, as well as the side surface of the head of the European monkfish. The posterior dorsal fin is located opposite the anal fin. The anterior dorsal fin consists of 6 rays, the first of which is located on the anglerfish’s head and can reach a length of 40-50 cm. At its top there is a leather “bag” that glows in the dark layers of bottom water. The coloring of individuals varies somewhat depending on the habitat of these fish. The back and sides, covered with dark spots, can be colored brown, reddish or greenish-brown, in contrast to the belly, which is white. The European monkfish lives in the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the shores of Europe, from the coast of Iceland to the Gulf of Guinea. These “cute creatures” can be found not only in the cold waters of the North, Baltic and Barents Seas or in the English Channel, but also in the warmer Black Sea. European anglerfish live at depths from 18 to 550 m.

• Black-bellied anglerfish (South European anglerfish, Budegass anglerfish) ( Lophius budegassa)

In structure and shape, this species of marine fish is very close to its European relative, but unlike it, it has a more modest size and a head that is not so wide relative to the body. The length of the monkfish ranges from 0.5 to 1 meter. The structure of the jaw apparatus is no different from individuals of other species. This species of monkfish gets its name from its distinctive black abdomen, while its back and sides are colored in varying shades of reddish brown or pinkish gray. Depending on their habitat, the body of some individuals may be covered with dark or light spots. The leathery outgrowths of a yellowish or light sandy color that border the jaws and head of the black-bellied anglerfish are short in length and located quite sparsely. The lifespan of the black-bellied monkfish does not exceed 21 years. This species is widespread in the waters of the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean throughout the entire space - from Great Britain and Ireland to the coast of Senegal, where the monkfish lives at depths from 300 to 650 m. The black-bellied anglerfish can also be found in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas at depths of up to 1 kilometer.Lophius litulon)

It is a typical inhabitant of the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan, Okhotsk, Yellow and East China Seas, as well as a small part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, where it is found at depths ranging from 50 m to 2 km. Individuals of this species grow up to 1.5 meters in length. Like all representatives of the genus Lophius, the Japanese monkfish has a horizontally flattened body, but unlike its relatives it has a longer tail. Sharp teeth curved towards the throat in the lower, forward jaw are arranged in two rows. The leathery body of the yellow anglerfish, covered with numerous outgrowths and bony tubercles, is painted in a uniform brown color, over which light spots with darker outlines are randomly scattered. Unlike the back and sides, the belly of Far Eastern monkfish is light. The dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are dark in color, but have light tips.

• Cape Anglerfish, or Burmese monkfish, ( Lophius vomerinus)

It is distinguished by a huge flattened head and a rather short tail, occupying less than one third of the length of the entire body. The size of adult individuals does not exceed 1 meter. Their life expectancy is no more than 11 years. The Cape anglerfish lives at depths of 150 to 400 m in the southeastern Atlantic and western Indian Ocean, along the coasts of Namibia, Mozambique and the Republic of South Africa. The light brown body of the Burmese monkfish is strongly flattened from the back towards the abdomen and covered with a fringe of numerous leathery growths. The esca, located at the top of the long first ray of the dorsal fin, resembles a flap. The gill slits are located behind the pectoral fins and just below their level. The lower part of the body (abdomen) is lighter, almost white.

Ecology

Nature sometimes surprises us a lot. We may encounter such bizarre forms of life on our planet that we may not even believe that they really exist. Marine life can be especially surprising, as they hide in such depths that rarely can anyone see them or capture them in photos or videos. Find out about amazing sea monsters that can only come to us in nightmares.

1) Fish that looks like a predator

This fish boasts a huge toothy mouth, which, undoubtedly, only a predator could have. Fish species Neoclinus blanchardi or, as it is also called, pike blenny, looks pretty scary. Before this sea creature opens its mouth, its appearance is not much different from that of ordinary fish, although it does have strange wrinkled cheeks, like an old man. As soon as this “dog” opens its mouth, it turns into a terrifying monster that is ready to swallow you whole.

The pike blenny is an incredibly territorial creature. Pisces use their giant mouths to collide with each other, although their fights are somewhat reminiscent of two parachutes colliding.

2) Sea flycatcher

It may seem that these creatures were pulled out from the bottom of the impact crater of some alien planet, but they live on Earth, more precisely, in deep-sea canyons near California. Tunicate predators look like carnivorous plants flycatchers, but live in the depths of the sea. They anchor themselves to the bottom and calmly wait for unsuspecting prey to swim alongside their gaping, glowing mouth. As soon as the prey is near, the tunicate immediately grabs it. Having learned to hunt this way, these creatures cannot afford to be too picky about their diet.

In addition to the fact that carnivorous tunicates look like extraterrestrial life forms, they also have the ability to give birth to offspring without mating with other individuals, producing both eggs and sperm at the same time.

3) Fish that attacks from below

This is a living creature of the species Astroscopus guttatus with not the most attractive appearance received the name speckled stargazer. This name evokes associations with some small, bright fish with large eyes, but this fish is not like that at all. Who else can count the stars? Apparently this is the devil who sits on his throne somewhere in hell.

This fish spends most of its life buried in the mud at the bottom, looking from below at everything that moves nearby. Moreover, she has special organs above her eyes that can release electrical discharges.

4) A shark that looks like a rug on the floor

Looking at this creature, you cannot immediately tell whether it is a plant, an animal, or even an inanimate object. Actually it's carpet shark, which received this name because of its resemblance to a rug, although this rug has teeth and can bite painfully.

5) 7-meter fish

Remnetel or herring king is the longest bony fish in the world. What is the length of this giant? For example, in 1996, in California, the US military caught a 7-meter belt, which was not an easy task to pull out of the water. These giants are very rare to find, and most of those that are discovered are already dead. Although in a dead state such a monster is much better than in a living state. Apparently, it was this creature that became the prototype of the legends about the sea serpent - a terrible sea monster.

6) A real sea monster

You've probably heard that there are giant squids in the world, but it turns out that there are squids that are even larger than giant squids. In 2007, fishermen landed the largest known squid ever caught. The length of this monster was 10 meters, and its weight was about half a ton!

Eyewitnesses said that the eyes were the size of a large plate, and if it occurred to someone to make squid rings from this creature, then each such ring would be the size of a tractor tire.

The people who caught the giant were forced to freeze him right on the ship, apparently after a fierce struggle. Since then it has been on display in a New Zealand museum.

7) The largest fish in the world

8) A fish that can walk

Do you think that fish don’t need to have legs in the water at all, since they are not going to wander along the bottom? You are wrong! Some fish have something like legs. Fish family Brachionichthyidae, which were recently discovered near the island of Tasmania, Australia, not only have four “limbs” where they would have fins, but they can move them as they wander along the bottom. It looks very funny.

9) Fish that looks like an alien

Pisces of the genus Idiocant often call black devil fish because of their appearance. They live in the depths of the sea, where sunlight does not reach. They have a special hunting strategy: their body emits infrared light, which only they themselves can see, that is, these creatures have something like night vision goggles, when, like all other living beings, they are practically blind.

Interestingly, only the females of these fish have impressive teeth, and the males do not even have a well-functioning stomach. It has been suggested that males are needed only to give birth to offspring, therefore they have no use for all other organs except the genitals.

10) A clam that looks like a penis

This creature is called guiduck, whose name is borrowed from the Indians and means "digging deep". The body of the mollusk extends far beyond the shell and makes it look like a male organ. These mollusks are distinguished by the fact that they have an impressive life expectancy - 140 years or more, and can also grow to large sizes (up to 1.5 kilograms or more). This shellfish is quite popular in Japanese and Chinese cuisine, where it is often eaten raw.

One of the largest and most legendary creatures of the underwater kingdom is the sea devil fish. It is smaller in size than some whales, but not a single larger representative of this superclass of aquatic vertebrates has been found in the depths of the seas and oceans. And it has held the championship in myths and superstitions, debunked only recently, for many centuries.

Discovery of the "sea devil"

This animal was first described and named by Johann Walbaum, a German zoologist, doctor and naturalist. He called him Raja birostris; and this happened, by historical standards, not so long ago - in 1792. It should be noted that the history of these is the most intricate and vague, compared to other living beings: over two centuries they were given 25 species “names” and a dozen generic ones. Modern science recognizes the name Manta birostris. Until recently, it was believed that the sea devil fish was the only representative of the giant manta rays. However, in 2009, another species was isolated, Manta alfredi, which has significant differences in appearance, development, and morphology, but is similar in size, nutrition and lifestyle.

Legends and myths

The sea devil fish (photo above) got its nickname because of the peculiar shape of its head fins - with them it directs food into its mouth. From the outside they look like horns; and given the considerable size of the individual, it is not surprising that it inspired terror in sea travelers. Europeans who sailed in tropical waters believed that if you angered the devil fish, it would sink the ship, and it would chase it with unquenchable anger and persistence. In southeast Asia, meeting a manta ray meant (and still means) imminent troubles and big troubles. There was an opinion that the huge flat body serves the manta to envelop the unfortunate prey in order to absorb it (according to another version, crush it if a person has offended the monster in some way).

Sea devil fish: description

The stingray has huge diamond-shaped pectoral fins - in large specimens their span reaches seven meters. In front they turn into head fins, between which there is a wide mouth. The eyes are located on the sides, and the gills - in the form of slits - are located on the bottom of the head. The back of the sea devil is dark (black or thick gray), the belly is light. Moreover, there must be a scattering of stains on it. It is noteworthy that their number and location are strictly individual - like a person’s fingerprints. As for the weight, a large individual sometimes reaches two and a half tons...

Life in the ocean

No matter what they tell, no matter what scary stories they invent, the sea devil fish feeds like whales - plankton and small crustaceans. For this purpose, its mouth is equipped with a special apparatus for straining food, consisting of gill plates. Considering the size of the manta, it is not surprising 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 wounded and sick, but they actively hunt for cubs.

Unlike most mantas, they are inhabitants of the upper water layers. They never descend to great depths.

Reproduction of manta rays

To procreate, giant stingrays swim to the shores of Mozambique. Their mating season is in November. At this time, dozens of representatives of the “sea devil” species can be observed there. Descriptions of their courtship, provided by many ocean scientists and amateur divers, characterize this process as a very beautiful spectacle. Males follow a whole line of females who are ready to conceive, and at high speeds, usually not typical for 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 baby remains inside the mother and feeds. After birth, the sea devil fish is a meter and a quarter long and weighs about ten kilograms. A newborn baby follows its mother everywhere. The female gives birth to offspring irregularly - there are breaks at two and three years.

Danger of extinction

As already mentioned, the sea devil fish has no serious natural enemies. But for her the person is mortally dangerous. Its meat and liver are considered a culinary delicacy, and among the Chinese they are also widely used in medicine. It is Chinese fishermen who actively exterminate devilfish when they visit the Mozambique coast in November. Considering how slowly the giant rays reproduce, and the fact that this is the place they choose 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 sea devil fish is being actively studied, not all of its secrets have been revealed by scientists. First of all, no one can say why they get married near Mozambique and where they go after. Working stingrays are essentially migrants and simply “travel” wherever they look.

No less a mystery remains their habit of jumping out of the water and falling back with a fountain of splashes. Various scientists have put forward several versions on this matter:

Which of the hypotheses is correct may become known in the future, of course, if humanity does not relegate this creature to the category of extinct.