Ray Filters Compared (IMAGE)

University of Washington

Ray Filters Compared

Caption

Filter tissue with rows of what look like fern leaflets are distinctive for each filter-feeding ray, for example here's Manta birostis, a giant manta ray, compared to Mubula tarapacana, the Chilean devil ray. Even when dried, the differences remain and could be a way to identify which animals are being hunted from the filters being sold in apothecary shops.

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M Paig-Tran/U of Washington

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