WEBVTT - Why Is One Manta Ray Neon Pink?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Lauren Volga bam here. Some of us are lucky

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<v Speaker 1>and showed up on this planet with a certain amount

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<v Speaker 1>of fashion Genessa Qua, but one particular reef mantarey living

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<v Speaker 1>off the coast of Queensland, Australia, has enough personal flare

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<v Speaker 1>for all of us. The Mantarey's human given name is

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<v Speaker 1>Inspector Clusseau, after the bumbling French detective in the Pink

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<v Speaker 1>Panther movie franchise. Because he's cruising around the reefs of

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<v Speaker 1>eastern Australia flashing shocking pink flippers at marine life and

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<v Speaker 1>humans alike, he might be the only neon pink mantarey

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<v Speaker 1>in the world. The reef mantarey is one of the

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<v Speaker 1>largest species of ray in the world, but although their beefy,

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<v Speaker 1>their color palette is typically pretty subdued, normally white with

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<v Speaker 1>a few black splotches. Inspector Clusseau has been spotted about

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<v Speaker 1>ten times since he was first discovered. In In February,

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<v Speaker 1>a photographer named Christian Lane snapped some photos of a

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<v Speaker 1>group of male man to raise following a female's pheromone trail.

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<v Speaker 1>One ray in particular, made him think he was doing

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<v Speaker 1>something wrong with his camera the color didn't look right.

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<v Speaker 1>After consulting some locals, he discovered that the animal had

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<v Speaker 1>seen was somewhat of a local celebrity. Why Inspector Clusau

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<v Speaker 1>is pink is a question that has puzzled scientists. In

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<v Speaker 1>sixteen one, researcher Amelia Armstrong took a skin biopsy to

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<v Speaker 1>see if it might be a result of his diet

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<v Speaker 1>or maybe an infection. Since those hypotheses have been ruled out,

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<v Speaker 1>the current one is that Inspector Cluso's rosy coloring is

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<v Speaker 1>the product of a rare genetic mutation. Some gene mutations

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<v Speaker 1>can cause commonly known conditions, such as albinism, which is

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<v Speaker 1>the result of a lack of color pigments called melanin

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<v Speaker 1>in the skin, hair, or eyes of an animal, or melanism,

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<v Speaker 1>which is the result of a super production of melanin.

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<v Speaker 1>But Cluzo likely has a genetic mutation known as ari thrism,

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<v Speaker 1>which causes the skin to take on a red or

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<v Speaker 1>pink hue. This condition is not unheard of in fish,

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<v Speaker 1>but Clouseau is the first documented case of a manta

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<v Speaker 1>ray with air a thrism. Of course, air a thrism

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<v Speaker 1>isn't the only way animals can achieve a pinkish hue.

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<v Speaker 1>Some get it from their diet, which is why researchers

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<v Speaker 1>checked that out first. Animals from flamingos to cardinals to

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<v Speaker 1>salmon get their orange pink red colors from foods that

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<v Speaker 1>are high in compounds called carotenoids, which yes, we're named

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<v Speaker 1>for carrots, but lots of plants from apples to algae

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<v Speaker 1>produce these compounds, and animals can pick up those pigments

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<v Speaker 1>and wind up storing them in their skin, feathers, or flesh.

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<v Speaker 1>Male cardinals are pale unless they eat red dogwood berries,

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<v Speaker 1>and flamingos and salmon get their colors from eating various

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<v Speaker 1>aquatic animals that themselves eat algae, and even humans can

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<v Speaker 1>pick up an orange yellow skin tint from eating high

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<v Speaker 1>quantities of orange vegetables, white carrots, or pumpkin. Today's episode

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<v Speaker 1>was written by Jesseline Shields and produced by Tyler Clang.

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<v Speaker 1>For more in this lots of other colorful topics, visit

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<v Speaker 1>how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production of

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