Manta Rays Feed Using Ricochet Separation, a Novel Nonclogging Filtration Mechanism
Affiliations
Solid-liquid filtration is a ubiquitous process found in industrial and biological systems. Although implementations vary widely, almost all filtration systems are based on a small set of fundamental separation mechanisms, including sieve, cross-flow, hydrosol, and cyclonic separation. Anatomical studies showed that manta rays have a highly specialized filter-feeding apparatus that does not resemble previously described filtration systems. We examined the fluid flow around the manta filter-feeding apparatus using a combination of physical modeling and computational fluid dynamics. Our results indicate that manta rays use a unique solid-fluid separation mechanism in which direct interception of particles with wing-like structures causes particles to "ricochet" away from the filter pores. This filtration mechanism separates particles smaller than the pore size, allows high flow rates, and resists clogging.
Filter feeding in devil rays is highly sensitive to morphology.
Kahane-Rapport S, Teeple J, Liao J, Paig-Tran E, Strother J Proc Biol Sci. 2025; 292(2039):20242037.
PMID: 39837516 PMC: 11750363. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2037.
A filter inspired by deep-sea glass sponges for oil cleanup under turbulent flow.
Yu Y, Ding C, Zhang J, Ren N, Tang C, You S Nat Commun. 2025; 16(1):209.
PMID: 39747061 PMC: 11696985. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55587-y.
Permeability-selectivity trade-off for a universal leaky channel inspired by mobula filters.
Mao X, Bischofberger I, Hosoi A Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024; 121(50):e2410018121.
PMID: 39586001 PMC: 11648657. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2410018121.
Hydrodynamic analysis of bioinspired vortical cross-step filtration by computational modelling.
van Wassenbergh S, Sanderson S R Soc Open Sci. 2023; 10(5):230315.
PMID: 37181797 PMC: 10170350. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230315.
Evaluation of SLS 3D-Printed Filter Structures Based on Bionic Manta Structures.
Adelmann B, Schwiddessen T, Gotzendorfer B, Hellmann R Materials (Basel). 2022; 15(23).
PMID: 36499952 PMC: 9735598. DOI: 10.3390/ma15238454.