Evidence found of stingrays making noise

Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.

A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Australia working with a colleague from Sweden and another from Spain obtained recorded evidence of rays generating sound The researchers describe the noises and the way they were made in their paper.

Evidence of sharks or rays making sound has not been documented, suggesting that they don't have the tools to do it. Some exceptions appear to be present. The researchers obtained a video and sound recording of a mangrove whipray swimming over a reef off the coast of the Gill Islands in Indonesia. There is a video of a cowtail stingray making sounds, as well as a video of a whipray making sounds.

After hearing the rays make sounds, the researchers began to look for other evidence of rays making sounds, but they came up empty. People in the community brought examples to the team. People claim to have heard manta rays making sounds when they have been frightened. The sounds made by the rays have been described as a series of clicks.

According to the researchers, it appears that the rays only make sounds under duress, which may explain why no one has heard them before. According to them, only a few people have ever heard the sounds because scuba equipment creates bubbles that overwhelm other sounds underwater. The researchers have only theories as to why the rays are able to make sounds. They plan to continue their study of sound production in rays, looking first to find out how they make the sounds and then how they are utilized.

More information: Lachlan C. Fetterplace et al, Evidence of sound production in wild stingrays, Ecology (2022). DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3812 Journal information: Ecology

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