Ray Riddles Rays live in many ocean habitats. T ey swim from the deep ocean to shallow coral reefs. Yet scientists still don’t know much about them. For example, they don’t know how long rays


live. T ey don’t know if rays sleep or, if they do, for how long. T ey don’t even know how important they are to a reef habitat. Scientists also don’t know why mantas


sometimes breach, or jump out of the water. One theory says mantas breach to shake off parasites. Breaching also could be one way mantas communicate with each other. When a manta splashes back into the water,


it makes sound waves. T e waves travel a long way through water. Other mantas might sense those waves. So a manta may be “speaking” when it’s breaching. For now, these and many other questions


remain unanswered. Yet our knowledge of rays keeps growing. Scientists track and observe them. One day, they hope to have a more complete picture of rays and their role in their ocean habitat. For now, they study them one ray at a time.


Wordwise


carnivore: meat-eater cartilage: fi rm but fl exible kind of tissue


coral reef: rock-like structure built by tiny sea animals


mutualism: interaction that benefi ts both species


pectoral fi n: fi n on the side of a ray’s body


A view of this ray’s underbelly shows its mouth.


A school of spotted eagle rays glides through the water.


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