![]() ![]() The coupling lasts several seconds and usually the female stands still. Then it positions itself so that bellies of both are bonded, and inserts one of its claspers in the female cloaca. This creates what is known as “train mating” characterized by about 25-30 males, arranged one behind the other, following the female’s movements while she leads them all.Īt the end of this test, the female chooses a male and it bites its partner’s left pectoral fin to hold her. What happens during this time is very interesting: usually several males congregate around a receptive female and compete to mate with her. The courtship process may take several days and perhaps even weeks. When males are in heat, they tend to “casually” wander in the stations in search of a receptive female the latter is likely to release sex hormones in the water to communicate its willingness to mating. Of course, mating takes place in warm waters and often around the cleaning stations. Apparently, in Japan, the giant manta ray mates during the summer and in the Maldives greater reproductive activity was observed during October, November, March and April. Of course, half of births occur during the first 24 or 25 years. Manta rays deliver once about every 2-5 years and can have offspring for about 30 years. Despite these data, the age when maturity is reached varies from region to region.įertility is very low in comparison with other fish because females usually have 1 or 2 offspring maximum at a time. Manta birostris females reach maturity also between 8-10 years or to a later age, while members of the opposite sex mature when their disc’s width is 4-4.5 meters. In Manta alfredi species, females are mature from 8-10 years of age and males at 6 years of age, approximately, when the width of the disc is about 2.5-3 meters in diameter. The age at which sexual maturity is reached is not known completely for sure, but it is believed that females take longer to reach sexual maturity than males. This means that the male has to enter one of their copulatory organs called claspers in the female cloaca to transfer its sperm and allow fertilization. In this sense, the manta rays are ovoviviparous animals.įurthermore, fertilization is internal and involves sexual union of two individuals. But there is another name applied to any species that grows in an egg inside the mother’s body and hatches right there, being born alive. We know that animals experiencing birth through which the offspring are born developed are called mammals, and those that lay eggs are oviparous. Manta rays are large fish and just like other species they develop within eggs, however, the mother does not release them it gives birth to live offspring. ![]() The reproduction of these fish maintains some similarities with sharks, since they are close relatives. General information about the reproductive habits of manta rays
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