“Inspector Clouseau,” the only known pink-hued manta ray in existence, has been pictured swimming in the shallow waters near Australia’s southern Great Barrier Reef.
While swimming, photographer Kristian Laine snapped the 11-foot male ray close up in January 2020. Laine, surprised by the ray’s unique coloring, initially thought that his camera equipment had malfunctioned.
At first, the pink ray was shrouded by seven other male manta rays, all embroiled in an elaborate courtship ritual with a female. During the antics, Inspector Clouseau in his rose-pink glory became visible, and Laine captured several stunning photographs.
The seven additional male rays making up the squadron boasted dark backs and pale white underbellies, a coloring known as “countershading” that serves as camouflage when the ray is viewed from above or below.
“I’ve been diving out there for five years,” Jeffery continued. “For the last few days I’ve been out there in the same spot, hoping to see him again, but yet he hasn’t made another appearance.”
Lead scientist of the University of Queensland’s Project Manta, Dr. Kathy Townsend led the team concerned with identifying the cause of Inspector Clouseau’s pink skin color. They hoped to discern the cause by process of elimination after the pink ray’s initial discovery in 2015.
“Often when sharks and rays are stressed they will get that sort of pinkish color to their underbelly or to their whiter parts,” Townsend continued, “[however] when I spoke to Ryan [the dive instructor] about it, he said the animal was really quite relaxed.”
Townsend initially concluded that “skin infection” was the group’s “greatest educated guess.”
His color may appeal to curiosity but Inspector Clouseau is a formidable specimen, measuring 11 feet in length. The ray could weigh up to a ton as a fully grown adult male.
In the case of Inspector Clouseau, the result of his genetic abnormality is a beautiful rose-pink belly. The rare manta ray is, as far as scientists know, one of a kind.
