A fish with self-awareness? The fascinating result of the Mirror Self-Recognition Test with Manta Rays places them on the level of dolphins and primates. The ocean is more complex than you think! With one pup every few years, the Manta Ray struggles to survive fishing and pollution. Its high intelligence is one more reason to declare them a sanctuary. Let's act now! #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheOcean#VulnerableGiants #MarineLife #OceanMysteries#MirrorTest
00:00The mind of a primate, the body of a fish, the amazing intelligence of the manta ray.
00:06Hello and welcome to a dive into the depths of marine intelligence.
00:11Today, we'll explore one of the ocean's largest and most fascinating creatures, the manta ray.
00:17These peaceful giants are not only the largest rays in the world,
00:21but are also among the most intelligent animals on the planet.
00:25For years, intelligence was measured at sea by cetaceans.
00:29But the manta ray has rewritten the rules.
00:32The formula of intelligence.
00:35When scientists look for advanced intelligence, they often use the encephalization quotient, or EQ.
00:41This metric compares brain size to body size.
00:46A high EQ is the hallmark of advanced cognitive skills such as memory, learning, and social interaction.
00:53And the manta ray.
00:54Well, it has the highest brain-to-body ratio of all fish.
00:59Their EQ is so high that it brings them closer to the intelligence level of dolphins and some primates than to that of most marine life.
01:07This would explain why divers often describe them as curious, playful, and highly social.
01:12But the most shocking evidence of his complex mind came in a 2016 study.
01:19Researchers decided to administer a litmus test for animal cognition, the mirror self-recognition test.
01:26This test is a standard for measuring self-awareness.
01:28Two oceanic manta rays were observed in three scenarios, without a mirror, with a real mirror, and with a non-reflective board.
01:38The results were revealing when the real mirror was present.
01:43The stripes spent about 68% of their time in front of it.
01:47A massive jump compared to just 18% when there was no mirror.
01:52In addition, they displayed unusual behaviors, repetitive turns, and peculiar movements of their head fins.
01:59These patterns are similar to those observed in studies with primates, suggesting that the rays were not reacting to another animal, but could be exploring their own reflexes.
02:10A sign of self-awareness.
02:11Something rare in the world of fish.
02:14The urgent call for protection.
02:16This research radically changes our perception.
02:20Manta rays are much more than plankton-eating giants.
02:24They are complex, potentially self-aware animals with a rich social life.
02:28And it is precisely this level of intelligence that deepens the urgency of its protection.
02:34Manta rays are currently listed as vulnerable or endangered due to human impact.
02:39The threats are numerous.
02:41They are hunted for their gill-rakers for unscientific use in traditional remedies.
02:47They are also at risk from vessel strikes, bycatch, and habitat loss due to climate change.
02:53Their reproductive cycle is dramatically slow, giving birth to only one offspring every few years.
03:00This means that even a small increase in mortality can be devastating for their populations.
03:05Protecting the manta ray is protecting an amazing species and a rare example of advanced cognition that thrives in the fish world.
03:14His mind forces us to look at the ocean and ourselves in a whole new way.
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