Atlantic whitespotted eagle rays are some of the most stunning, mysterious bottom feeders found in Florida. But until now little has been known of where they go, what they eat and their other sundry, barbarous ray ways.
But recently biologists listened to the Indian River Lagoon, carefully, and with sophisticated sound devices, they could hear the voices of the rays fish that don t speak but definitely have a story to tell. What scientists heard? Our lagoon is one of a ray s favorite places.
While the researchers technological feat heralds new hopes of discovery, it also harkens back to old worries. The technology helps us tobetter to understand this otherwise mysterious creature that munches down lots of the same seafood we do. But by confirming that spotted rays really prefer inland waters like the lagoon, we now know the fish is in much greater danger of suffering from pollution than we previously thought.
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VIDEO: An Atlantic coast eagle ray in Florida s Indian River Lagoon. Atlantic coast rays spent greater than five times the amount of time inshore, regardless of maturity or sex, than Gulf. view more
Credit: Cameron Luck
Its muscular body shape and large pectoral fins are perfect for long-distance travel, yet movement patterns of the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) remain a mystery. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, the University of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, are the first to conduct a multiyear study examining large-scale movements of whitespotted eagle rays in United States waters.
Drifter or homebody? Study first to show where whitespotted eagle rays roam eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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VIDEO: Turn up the sound! Using the whitespotted eagle ray and underwater acoustic recorders, a study is the first to characterize how they consume hard-shelled mollusk prey like clams in a. view more
Credit: Florida Atlantic University s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Shell-crushing - exactly what it sounds like - is a predatory mode used by numerous marine life from crabs to octopuses to large fishes and mammals when they eat hard-shelled mollusks like clams, oysters and conchs. These predators have to break apart the shell using robust claws or fortified jaws to access the prey s soft tissues.
Despite its prevalence in the marine environment, this feeding behavior has remained elusive to study remotely, particularly for larger marine animals that destroy shells almost completely, leaving behind little trace. Moreover, because they are highly mobile, scientists have difficulty in directly observing their foraging habits, which is why the ecolog