#batoids

Surprisingly enough, mammals aren't the only animals that provide their young with milk! The giant freshwater stingray is one of several species of cartelaginous, live-bearing fish that sustain their young to term through a form of maternal care called histotrophy, in which the mother provides her embryo(s) with nutritional, milk-like secretions known as trophonemata while they're in the uterus.

(Image: A giant freshwater stingray (Urogymnus polylepis) caught and released by Cambodian fishermen, by Chhut Chheana)

because “that’s a cownose. and mantas are Very large.” “oh how big? I think your mom and I saw one when we were on vacation, it was bigger than this table–” “no dad the smaller species of manta gets to be five and a half meters across” “haha what? no that can’t be true that’s eighteen feet–” “yes.” “really????” “yes. the bigger species gets to be seven meters.” “what–”

what a nice birthday palette…!

i honestly cannot stress this enough: rays are the weirdest shapes