During my studies on the brain of several shark and batoid species in the last 11 years I found that Mobulid rays have the largest brain of all fish studied so far, extending the upper boundary of the batoid minimum convex polygon, which presents the brain weight/ body weight ratio on a double logarithmic scale. Those brain parts which are especially enlarged imply strong sensory and learning abilities, along with the possibility of highly developed and complex social structures. The Atlantis Aquarium in the Bahamas is one of the few aquariums in the world which is able to successfully keep Manta rays in good condition for long periods of time, therefore offers a unique opportunity to study giant manta rays in a well-controlled environment. Since there are two manta rays are in captivity right now, there is an exceptional chance to study their social behavior and communication as well. During my last visit I had the chance to observe their intense interaction and was able to identify certain communication signals, but I need more data collection to support these theories.

I am very excited to go and start the second phase of my study soon and to conduct unique experiments in order to understand more about their social life, sensory, learning and cognitive abilities.