Devil fish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Devil fish |
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The devil fish, also called the giant devil ray, is a type of ray. Its scientific name is Mobula mobular. These amazing ocean creatures belong to the Mobulidae family. Sadly, the devil fish is currently listed as an endangered animal. This is mainly because they often get caught by accident in fishing nets meant for other fish. This accidental capture is called bycatch.
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What Does the Devil Fish Look Like?
The devil fish is a very large ray. It is bigger than its close relative, the lesser devil ray. Its body, called a disk, can grow up to 3.5 meters (about 11.5 feet) wide. This makes it one of the biggest rays in the world!
It has a special tail with a spine. The devil fish is the third largest species in its group, Mobula. Only the oceanic and reef manta rays are bigger. It is also the only Mobula species that lives in the Mediterranean Sea.
Where Do Devil Fish Live?
Devil fish are most commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. They also live in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. You can find them off the coast of Ireland and south of Portugal. They are also seen in parts of the central and western Pacific Ocean.
In the Mediterranean Sea, they are found all over. They are most common in the eastern Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea. Large groups of devil fish have been seen in the Levantine basin. This might be an important place for them to mate.
These rays usually live in deep ocean areas, far from the coast. They can go as deep as several thousand meters. They are often seen in small groups. Sometimes, they gather in much larger numbers.
How Do Devil Fish Live?
Giant devil rays usually live in deep coastal waters. But sometimes, they come into shallower areas. Scientists have tagged some devil rays to study them. They found that these rays can dive very deep, up to 600–700 meters (about 1,960–2,300 feet).
However, they spend most of their time closer to the surface. They prefer depths between 0 and 50 meters (0 and 165 feet). They like warmer waters, usually between 20°C and 29°C (68°F and 84°F). Unlike some other animals, devil rays dive deep at random times. Their deep dives are not linked to a specific time of day.
Devil rays can live for about 20 years. They are a type of fish that lives in the open ocean, near the surface. They have a very low number of babies. This means they give birth to only one baby at a time, and not very often.
They are also ovoviviparous. This means the baby hatches from its egg inside the mother's body. The baby then grows more before being born. When baby devil fish are born, they are already quite large. For example, a pup born at the Osaka Aquarium was about 1.03 meters (about 3.4 feet) wide.
What Do Devil Fish Eat?
Devil rays eat tiny ocean creatures called planktonic crustaceans. They also eat small schooling fish. They use special flaps near their mouth to scoop up their food. These flaps are called cephalic flaps.
When these flaps are rolled up, they look like horns. This gives the devil fish a "devil-like" shape, which is how it got its name! They mostly eat a type of shrimp called euphausiid shrimp. They also eat small fish that live in the middle depths of the ocean.
Why Are Devil Fish Endangered?
The devil fish has a small living area and does not have many babies. This makes them very sensitive to changes in their environment. Their numbers are going down. Scientists predict that their population could drop by at least 50% in the next 60 years. This is because it is hard for their numbers to recover once they start to decline.
Most of what we know about devil rays comes from accidental catches. This is because many devil rays die from being caught as bycatch. They are often caught in nets meant for swordfish. Sometimes, they are also caught in other fishing gear like longlines, purse seines, and trawls.
Other threats to the devil fish include pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Industrial garbage and solid waste can harm them. All types of Mobula rays have been fished by people for a long time. In some places, like Gaza and Egypt, devil rays are caught for food. They are also caught by accident in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
The IUCN Red List first listed the devil fish as "vulnerable" in 2004. It was changed to "endangered" in 2006. This was because their population was not recovering, and they were still being caught too often.
Some countries are working to protect them. In the Adriatic Sea, devil rays are legally protected in Italy and Croatia. In Albania, it is against the law to fish for, transport, or sell giant devil rays. They are also protected by international agreements like the Bern and Barcelona conventions.
