Rare Pink Manta Ray Caught Down Under

Publish date: 2024-05-02

While we humans can just change our clothing or dye our hair if we're looking for a different color story, it's not quite as easy for animals in the wild. But one way for them to try on a different color is through their diet. Flamingos are often fawned over for their pretty pink feathers, but they're actually born gray. The pink coloring is a result of dyes in the shrimp and algae they dine on, similar to how the beta-carotene in carrots can turn your skin orange if you eat way, way, way too many of them.

Naturally, scientists assumed that Clouseau's coloring must've been due to a special diet, but after taking a small skin biopsy from him in 2016, they discovered something even more unique. As it turns out, the ray's pink hue is likely caused by a genetic mutation. No matter how he got that way, let's hope to see Clouseau's pink belly pop up on someone's Insta again soon.

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