Sea devil killed in Montenegro

A giant manta ray was recovered from a hundred meters deep from the Adriatic Sea. This large inhabitant of the world's oceans is nicknamed the "sea devil" because of the pectoral fins that form a kind of horns on the head of the stingray. The unusual appearance and huge size of the sea animal have led to numerous superstitions and fears. At one time, it was even believed that manta rays attack divers, capture them and crush them with their powerful fins.

However, in fact, manti are absolutely not aggressive and safe. These slow-moving giants feed on plankton and fish fry. And even they themselves are the object of aggression from the copepods: the parasites attach to the surface of the rays, causing them a lot of suffering. Wishing to get rid of colonies of crustaceans, manta rays are looking for clusters of cleaner fish. Sometimes stingrays gather in flocks and frolic like dolphins near the surface of the water. Their behavior attracts the attention of the curious, contributing to the development of ecotourism.

A giant stingray caught in Montenegro was dragged ashore, killed and became the subject of a selfie. But the fishermen are not destined to rejoice for long. Most likely they will face a fine or even deprivation of a fishing license. Indeed, since 2011, manta rays have been protected by the Bonn Convention, an international treaty concluded within the framework of the UN Program aimed at preserving wildlife and animal habitats on a global scale.