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Manta ray gives rare birth in captivity in Okinawa aquarium

Thursday, 19 June 2008

MOTOBU, Okinawa -- A manta ray was born at an aquarium here, becoming only the world's second such creature to be born in captivity.

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu witnessed the birth of the manta ray on Tuesday. The baby was born to the same parents that had also given birth to another baby manta ray in June last year.

Aquarium staff confirmed the pregnancy in June last year, and the baby manta was born after 366 days. The father manta, which was captured by fixed netting in May 1992, has been in an aquarium longer than any other manta in the world.

As the other manta ray died only six days after being born last year due to its father chasing it into the wall of a tank, aquarium staff moved the new baby manta ray to a pond soon after it was born.

The baby manta ray, which measures about 1.8 meters in width, is reportedly healthy.

"We'll see how it works out and hope to make the baby manta ray open to the public as soon as possible," said a representative of the aquarium.

Manta rays live in tropical marine waters and grow to more than 6.7 meters in width.

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