A bright pink manta ray has made its spectacular return to Queensland, delighting and confusing researchers with its unique colour.
The ray, named Inspector Clouseau after the main character of the ‘Pink Panther’ films, has been recorded only seven times since it was first spotted in 2015. He is the first and only pink manta ray to ever be discovered by humans, and as a result, we don’t yet know why he’s so brightly coloured.
Researchers first thought he could have an infection, but five years later he’s still healthy and as brightly coloured as ever, so that’s unlikely. They also thought his blood vessels could be unusually close to the skin, but they “compared that to a normal manta ray and it turns out they’re exactly the same,” says marine ecologist Kathy Townsend.
Scientists are now waiting to do more tests on skin samples. They’re also keeping an eye out for any of Inspector Clouseau’s children, in case they turn out pink too.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to post other peoples’ photos here, so the images for this story can be found at: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4c/cc/72/4ccc727ae0c4fcff8965f8f323a7b2cf.jpg
Lachlan Writes Science 
