Young Caribbean manta rays (Mobula yarae) off South Florida often carry groups of other fish, creating small, mobile ecosystems. Palm Beach County serves as a known nursery for juvenile mantas, and the coastal area’s heavy recreational use can put these animals and their companions at risk.
Researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation and the University of Miami studied 465 videos recorded between 2016 and 2021 to document these associations. Emily Yeager, the study’s lead author and a doctoral candidate at the Rosenstiel School, recorded which fish were present, their numbers and where they gathered on manta bodies. The team found four families of teleost fish that regularly associate with juveniles.
The most frequent companions were remoras, which attach to larger animals with a suction-like dorsal fin. Other common associates included species important to Florida fisheries, such as jacks and cobia. Fish tended to gather near mantas’ gills, eyes, wings and tail, and researchers say some relationships may be long-lasting and relatively stable. The team suggests mantas can act as living habitats where other fish may feed, mature or mate.
Because South Florida has heavy boating and recreational fishing, juvenile mantas and their companions face risks such as boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Jessica Pate of the Marine Megafauna Foundation recommended slowing down where mantas feed near the surface and practising responsible boating and fishing to protect these animals and their ecological interactions. The study appears in the journal Marine Biology and received support including the University of Miami’s Maytag Fellowship and a Florida Sea Grant–Guy Harvey Fellowship held by Emily Yeager.
Difficult words
- nursery — area where young animals live and grow
- association — a regular relationship between two thingsassociations
- remora — small fish that attach to larger animalsremoras
- teleost — a large group of bony fishes
- entanglement — being caught or wrapped in fishing gear
- suction-like — having a surface that sticks like a cup
- ecosystem — a community of plants and animals interactingecosystems
- manta — a very large marine ray speciesmanta rays, mantas
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What simple actions could boaters and anglers take to reduce harm to mantas and their companion fish?
- Why might mantas act as important habitats for other fish, according to the study? Give examples from the text.
- How could protecting nursery areas like Palm Beach County benefit local marine life and fisheries?
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