Mysterious Mobula mass mortality
Mysterious Mobula mass mortality avatar

By , on February 27th, 2013 20 comments   Natural Disaster, Weird   ,  

From the Italian news site La Repubblica comes this disturbing story (with 15 graphic pictures) of a mass stranding of “manta” rays on a beach in the Palestinian territories. According to Google Translate, the caption reads something like “For now only remains a mystery. Difficult to determine the cause, but the scenario that occurred on . . . → Read More: Mysterious Mobula mass mortality

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Ever seen a manta ray’s bellybutton?
Ever seen a manta ray’s bellybutton? avatar

By , on September 13th, 2012 3 comments   Adaptations, Mating & Reproduction, New Research   , , ,  

In a remarkable turnaround, Craig directed me to a very cool new study about manta rays (next thing you know I’ll be sending HIM papers about energy availability in the deep sea…). In it, the authors use the birth of a baby Manta alfredi in the Chaurami Aquarium in Japan to study these largest and . . . → Read More: Ever seen a manta ray’s bellybutton?

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TGIF – a clarion call for manta rays
TGIF – a clarion call for manta rays avatar

By , on November 11th, 2011 Leave a comment   Fish, Pictures and Movies   , , ,  

I just wanted to share some nice footage from Mexico showing a group of clarion agenlfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) cleaning a manta ray that comes within sight of their home reef. It shows that Labroides isn’t the only important cleaner fish, especially when it comes to big pelagics. Clarion angels are listed by IUCN as . . . → Read More: TGIF – a clarion call for manta rays

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TGIF: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan
TGIF: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan avatar

By , on July 17th, 2009 12 comments   Fish, Organisms, Pictures and Movies   , , , ,  

Mozambique’s ocean ambassadors
Mozambique’s ocean ambassadors avatar

By , on July 31st, 2008 3 comments   Uncategorized   , , , , , , ,  

. . . → Read More: Mozambique’s ocean ambassadors

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Scientist falls in love with manta rays, finds new species
Scientist falls in love with manta rays, finds new species avatar

By , on July 28th, 2008 19 comments   Uncategorized   , , , , , ,  

When Andrea Marshall began studying the manta rays of Mozambique for her dissertation five years ago, she never expected to discover a new species, let alone a globally cosmopolitan, highly migratory ocean wanderer. She was “awestruck by their beauty,” studied the rays, and then gradually noticed subtle differences between them. Species can be cryptic; hard . . . → Read More: Scientist falls in love with manta rays, finds new species

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