Belly Flopping for Love
Mobula Rays go airborne
In today’s header, we have a bit of BBC footage of Moubula Rays showing off their leaping prowess. The goal is to make a big splash (literally!), most likely in an attempt to attract a mate. While it’s mostly males that perform the aerial stunts, female rays also participate in the ritual.
There are 11 species of rays within the Mobula genus. They are found throughout the world in tropical ocean environments and temperate seas.
Depending on the species, mobulas are anywhere from a respectable one meter to up to a ginormous 5.2 meters (3.6 to 17.1 feet) wide. The rays use these fins to breach the water’s surface and can jump up to 2 meters or about 6 feet in the air before coming back down, wings extended, making a large, noisy splash. Scientists aren’t exactly certain why Mobulas leap from the water, speculating that in addition to mating, the rays may be communicating through splashing… or, they might be trying to shake loose parasites. Whatever the reason, the show is spectacular. Because they hunt and travel in large gatherings of a hundred or more rays, the leaping will generally be a group activity. A collection of rays is called a fever, and Ray Fever seems like a very good name for a disco album.
The source video is below.
National Geographic Kids: Mobula Ray
ResearchGate: Distribution map of recent and current fisheries and by-catch locations of mobulids.
I'm a bird! I can fly! Nope !
It's like the Flying Sub coming out of the sea. Their reentry's a little rougher, though. :-)