Chimaera carophila KEMPER, EBERT, NAYLOR, G.J.P. & DIDIER, 2014; Holotype P.45580, adult male, 915 mm TL, 541 mm BDL; © David Ebert
While Melissa’s MSc research covers the chimaeras (all families), she’s the first to admit she knows close to nothing about them. Which is why writing this was such a treat—all the learning that went behind these blog posts! (It’s been a while since she had felt such a strong spark of renewed interest in learning) That’s why we’ll be focusing on New Zealand’s chimaeras before we move on to those worldwide.
 Reef manta ray (Manta alfredi). © Doug Perrine
Manta rays. Wow, what animals. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to see these animals in the wild (Melissa has not; the closest she has seen are spotted eagle rays), you know they are one of the most majestic and graceful swimmers out there.
In this blog post, we will discuss the manta rays as a whole! The word ‘Manta’ comes from the Spanish for “cloak” or “shawl;” in the Maldivian language mantas are known as “En Madi,” which translates to “small fish eating ray.” Both sound pretty accurate in describing these animals (they kind of look like shawls and do eat small fish… but more on that later). 
© fishingmag.co.nz
While we don’t have actual elephants in the sea, we have elephantfishes, which is sort of the same thing. Most people don’t like to discuss the elephant (fish) in the room, but that’s all we’re going to talk about in this blog post.
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AuthorTFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments. SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:
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