Manta Ray Secrets

Part 4 of Sea Soul Secrets glides over to the manta ray, the animal behind Rippled Wing.

A big brain for a fish. Oceana reports that manta rays have the largest brains of any fish, with well-developed areas for learning, problem solving and communication. A manta's brain can be ten times larger than a whale shark's.

Something happens in front of a mirror. In a 2016 study, researcher Csilla Ari placed a mirror in a tank with captive mantas. The rays swam back and forth in front of it, unrolled and rolled their mouth fins about 10 times more often than without the mirror, and blew bubbles while looking at it. Ari said this does not prove self-awareness, but zoologist Vera Schluessel pointed out that no other fish she had shown a mirror to would have recognised itself.

Somersaults at dinner. NOAA Fisheries describes giant mantas feeding on zooplankton with tactics such as barrel rolling, doing somersaults over and over, and forming feeding chains with other mantas. Two cephalic lobes at the front of the head help channel water into the mouth. Mantas also gather at cleaning sites.

Each one has its own pattern. Every manta has a unique spot pattern on its belly, much like a fingerprint, so researchers can identify individuals from photos, notes the Texas State Aquarium. Giant mantas can reach a disc width of 26 feet and dive deeper than 1,000 metres.

Meet Rippled Wing in the Sea Soul collection.