baby thornback ray

[Amby 490]

Visitors to a Hampshire aquarium are being greeted by an eerily alien-like smiling face.

People have likened the baby thornback ray's distinctive face to the 'Last Human' featured on Doctor Who.

In the BBC series, the last surviving human was reduced to a stretched sheet of human skin with just a pair of eyes and a mouth.

The semi-transparent thornback ray, only a month old and just 12cms in length, is part of a captive breeding programme at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea.

It is one of a dozen, hatched from egg-cases known as 'mermaid's purses', currently being looked after in a special nursery tank.

When they are large enough, they will join the adult thornbacks and several sharks in a large pool.

A Blue Reef spokesman said the babies are proving very popular with visitors.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2738164.html?menu=

[mawilson 2,133]

Amber, you crack me up with your Ananova posts

[Sister Fracas 5]

cool looking...

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Visitors to a Hampshire aquarium are being greeted by an eerily alien-like smiling face.

People have likened the baby thornback ray's distinctive face to the 'Last Human' featured on Doctor Who.

In the BBC series, the last surviving human was reduced to a stretched sheet of human skin with just a pair of eyes and a mouth.

The semi-transparent thornback ray, only a month old and just 12cms in length, is part of a captive breeding programme at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea.

It is one of a dozen, hatched from egg-cases known as 'mermaid's purses', currently being looked after in a special nursery tank.

When they are large enough, they will join the adult thornbacks and several sharks in a large pool.

A Blue Reef spokesman said the babies are proving very popular with visitors.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2738164.html?menu=

Cute fish. Rays are awesome. I got to see a migration of rays in the Gulf of Mexico one time. It was really cool. They were all just under the surface and you could watch them swim by.

[Mary Lou 681]

Aww i think it's cute

[almaty 19]

i wonder how it taste

[Jason-Sasha 1]

Neat creature. Certainly does appear to be smiling. You almost expect it to start talking.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

i wonder how it taste

Ever eaten scallops? They were probably sting ray meat.

Makes me think of The Abyss.

[Amby 490]

Amber, you crack me up with your Ananova posts

they crack me up! I can't get enough of it. They're so weird!

[Mags 112]

I love rays, they always seem to be playful. When I die I'd like to come back as a ray.

[pedroh 21]

i wonder how it taste

oh man! ray is really tasty!! they sell it in the northwest of Mexico, in the Sonora state 'machaca de mantarraya', they dry the meat, then hydrate it again and cook it with oil, veggies and stuff. delicious

[Aymerlu 3]

I love rays!!! I went snokeling with some rays a few years back. It was awesome!

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I love rays!!! I went snokeling with some rays a few years back. It was awesome!

I was on a dive less than a week after Steve Irwin died. I was about a foot from the bottom, making sure no beginners were heading toward the deep channel. I saw a flash in the corner of my eye. I didn't know what it was at first, then it swam between the sea floor and my body. I was pretty spooked, given the similar circumstances. Anyway, it was peaceful and didn't bother me.

They are so cool to see in predatory mode. Just watching them snuggle up into the mud is pretty cool.

[Aymerlu 3]

I love rays!!! I went snokeling with some rays a few years back. It was awesome!

I was on a dive less than a week after Steve Irwin died. I was about a foot from the bottom, making sure no beginners were heading toward the deep channel. I saw a flash in the corner of my eye. I didn't know what it was at first, then it swam between the sea floor and my body. I was pretty spooked, given the similar circumstances. Anyway, it was peaceful and didn't bother me.

They are so cool to see in predatory mode. Just watching them snuggle up into the mud is pretty cool.

We were at a sand bar off of Grand Cayman Islands. There were literally thousands of sting rays and it was almost like they were tame. After the Steve Irwin thing I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I love rays!!! I went snokeling with some rays a few years back. It was awesome!

I was on a dive less than a week after Steve Irwin died. I was about a foot from the bottom, making sure no beginners were heading toward the deep channel. I saw a flash in the corner of my eye. I didn't know what it was at first, then it swam between the sea floor and my body. I was pretty spooked, given the similar circumstances. Anyway, it was peaceful and didn't bother me.

They are so cool to see in predatory mode. Just watching them snuggle up into the mud is pretty cool.

We were at a sand bar off of Grand Cayman Islands. There were literally thousands of sting rays and it was almost like they were tame. After the Steve Irwin thing I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon.

I don't think I would have a problem doing that now. The thing about Steve Irwin is that it was a truly freak accident. You have to be pretty ill-fated to get a stingray shot to the heart. Anyway, I want to dive with mantas at some point in my life.