Tags reveal Chilean devil rays are among ocean's deepest divers

摘要

Thought to dwell mostly near the ocean's surface, Chilean devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) are most often seen gliding through shallow, warm waters. But a new study by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), USA, and international colleagues reveals that these large and majestic creatures are actually among the deepest-diving ocean animals. "So little is known about these rays," says Simon Thorrold, a biologist at WHOI and one of the authors of the paper, published this summer in the journal Nature Communications. "We thought they probably travelled long distances horizontally, but we had no idea that they were diving so deep. That was truly a surprise."