Frightened bat rays produce a chemical cue to warn other rays of danger, an anti-predator strategy previously undocumented in cartilaginous fish.

How this affects you

This discovery provides new insights into the communication pathways and behavioral complexities of marine species like rays and sharks. It suggests that chemical signals could play a role in predator avoidance for large marine predators like sharks, potentially explaining their flight response when larger predators like orcas are present.