Happy tots: These tiny newborn thornback rays appear to be smiling at the visitors
▲團扇鰩寶寶的長相，始終掛著微笑。
英國諾福克郡（Norfolk）大雅茅斯海洋生物中心（Great Yarmouth's Sealife Centre），最近誕生了6條可愛的團扇鰩（Thornback ray），牠們像天生就「面帶微笑」，讓遊客蜂擁爭睹，看著牠們，彷彿生活也跟著變美好。
雖然團扇鰩看起來在微笑，但其實像眼睛的部位，是牠們的鰓，真正的眼睛是長在身體的前方。拍下照片時，6隻團扇鰩才出生3天，先住在「育兒缸」，等到再長大，就會放回主缸。
團扇鰩是英國水域裡9種鰩魚中最常見的，成年時可以長到1.2公尺長，因為身上有微小的刺而得名（Thornback）。
[轉自維基]
中國團扇鰩（學名：Platyrhina sinensis）為軟骨魚綱鰩目團扇鰩科的一種。
分布
本魚分布於日本本州中部以南和朝鮮西南部海區以及南海、東海、黃海等海域。該物種的模式產地在中國。
深度
水深5-80公尺。
特徵
本魚體盤近於菱形，吻端及左右角鈍圓。齒細小而多，呈鋪石狀排列。眼上位，魚體背面棕褐色或灰褐色，腹面淡白色。腹鰭後緣無缺刻。尾部較細長，兩側有皮摺。背鰭2枚，小型，遠在腹鰭以後。尾鰭發育完善，上下葉同形。體面粗糙，背面中央結刺狀突起一列。體長可達68公分。
生態
本魚為暖水性沿岸魚類，喜棲於沙泥底質海域；活動力差，僅能利用其強壯尾部左右擺動以前進，故常蜇伏於底層，伺機捕捉食物。卵胎生。
經濟利用
食用魚，但味道劣，較不具食用價值。
Little rays of sunshine: Baby flat fish who appear to be smiling are hit with aquarium visitors
- Six tiny thornback rays have hatched at Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre, Norfolk, in the last three days during a 'baby boom'
- Cute little creatures appear to be smiling but their 'eyes' are in fact gills
There must be something in the water. These little rays of sunshine appear to be smiling at just days old.
The tiny rays have arrived during a baby boom at Great Yarmouth’s Sealife Centre, Norfolk, drawing in visitors from far and wide.
At least six Thornbacked rays have hatched over the last three days alone.
The fascinating little creatures were born during a baby boom at Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre, in Norfolk
And visitors eager for a glimpse of their seemingly happy faces have been shocked to find what looks like eyes are in fact gills.
Curator Christine Pitcher said: 'We took more ray eggs out of our main display tank this morning, and at least 20 of them seem to be fertile.
'It’s the right time of year for a baby boom, but I don’t recall ever having so many youngsters appearing at once before.
The miniature rays might appear to be smiling but in fact what looks like eyes are in fact tiny gills
A closer look at the 'face' reveals that there are no eyes on the underside of the tiny fish - there are on the upper side of the flat fish
'It’s the ultimate endorsement for our husbandry techniques and the quality of water and theming in our displays,' she added.
Thoughthe fish appear to be smiling, what looks to be it’s eyes are in fact gills for breathing on it’s underside. The rays' real eyes are on the front of it’s body.
The fish will live in a nursery tank until they are big enough to join the adult rays in huge open top tank.
Staff at the Sea Life Centre are delighted with the sudden arrival of so many newborn rays, and are hoping the baby boom will extend to the centre's nurse shark which they have been trying to mate
Thornbacked rays are the most common of nine species of rays in British waters. They can grow up to 1.2metres.
They get their name because their upper body is covered in tiny prickles.
Christine and her team are hoping the baby boom will rub off on their largest resident Aphropdite the nurse shark who has been mating with male Hercules.
'That would certainly be the "happy event" of the year,' she said.
Disguised: The tiny thornback rays will eventually look like this one, brown and speckled on top, where their real eyes are clearly visible |
發表於 2013-7-17 03:24 PM
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發表於 2013-7-17 11:27 PM
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