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Oceans and Sea Life · entry 34 of 52
Manta rays glide through open water with wide wings, filtering tiny prey as they swim.
The longer version
Broad wings drive water backward in a slow flapping stroke, giving silent, efficient travel over long distances. Enlarged head fins funnel plankton-laden water toward the mouth, and modified gill tissue strains out anything above a certain size before the flow exits below.
Straining only pays where prey gathers, so these animals seek rich patches and often circle repeatedly to stay inside one. Everything captured is swallowed whole, since nothing can be chewed. Cleaner fish on reefs remove parasites during visits, and their hosts queue and wait, a reminder that even filter feeders take part in reef life.
Where this entry sits
Oceans and Sea Life looks at the salt water that covers most of the planet, from crashing waves and tides to the darkest deep-sea trenches. Expect notes on coral, fish, whales, sharks, jellyfish, shells, and the strange creatures that live far below the surface. The full list sits on the Oceans and Sea Life page, where every entry is listed in order.
More From Oceans and Sea Life
Eight more entriesStingrays bury themselves in sand on the seabed, leaving only eyes and tail exposed.
Read 36Orcas hunt in coordinated groups and pass hunting techniques down through family lines.
Read 37Baleen whales filter seawater through bristly plates, trapping krill and small fish inside their mouths.
Read 38Krill swarm in vast numbers in cold polar seas and feed many larger animals.
Read 39Penguins are flightless birds that use their wings to swim rather than to fly.
Read 40Albatrosses glide for hours over the ocean, using wind rising off the waves to stay aloft.
Read 41Turtles return to the beaches where they hatched to lay their own eggs years later.
Read 42Deep ocean trenches plunge far deeper than the height of the tallest mountains on land.
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