Where do remora fish live?
Remoras are tropical open-ocean dwellers, but are occasionally found in temperate or coastal waters if they have attached to large fish that have wandered into these areas. In the mid-Atlantic Ocean, spawning usually takes place in June and July; in the Mediterranean Sea, it occurs in August and September.
What is the relationship between Remora and sharks?
Remora and sharks have a commensalism relationship which, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica , is a relationship between two species in which one benefits from the other without either being harmed. Commonly called a suckerfish, the remora is a pelagic marine fish that attaches to the shark and feeds on it.
What is the common name of remora?
[9] Some remoras associate with specific host species. They are commonly found attached to sharks, manta rays, whales, turtles, and dugongs, hence the common names "sharksucker" and "whalesucker".
How do remora fish swim?
Remoras sometimes attach to small boats, and have been observed attaching to divers as well. They swim well on their own, with a sinuous, or curved, motion. Remora front dorsal fins have evolved to enable them to adhere by suction to smooth surfaces, and they spend most of their lives clinging to a host animal such as a whale, turtle, shark or ray.
How many species of remora are there?
Seven of the eight species of remoras are classified as species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The conservation status of the eighth species, the whitefin sharksucker (Echeneis neucratoides), has not been fully assessed. Ecologists are concerned, however, that remoras could become threatened over time as sharkpopulationscontinue to decline worldwide.
How big is a remora fish?
Remoras typically range from 30 to 90 cm (11.8 to 35.4 inches) in length , depending on the species.
What is the name of the zebra shark that has a flat oval sucking disk on its head?
Remoras adhere by means of a flat oval sucking disk on top of their head. The disk, derived from the spiny portion of the dorsal fin, contains a variable number of paired crosswise plates. A remora ( Echeneis naucrates) and its host, a zebra shark ( Stegostoma fasciatum ).
What is an echeneidae?
Echeneidae ( remora s or shark suckers) Oligocene to present; differ from other percoids mainly in having a sucking disk on top of head, modified from the spinous first dorsal fin. About 8 species; warm marine seas; ride attached to large fish or other marine animals or ships;…
What is a remora?
remora, (family Echeneidae), also called sharksucker or suckerfish, any of eight species of marine fishes of the family Echeneidae (order Perciformes) noted for attaching themselves to, and riding about on, sharks, other large marine animals, and oceangoing ships. Remoras adhere by means of a flat oval sucking disk on top of their head.
How big is a sharksucker?
The live sharksucker, or slender suckerfish ( Echeneis naucrates ), is the longest, growing up to 110 cm (43.3 inches) in length; the white suckerfish, or white remora ( Remora albescens ), is the shortest, the largest individuals measuring only 30 cm as adults.
How does a remora work?
By attaching itself to the shark, the remora is carried along by the shark, allowing the remora to travel to different areas without having to expend its own energy to swim. The shark is completely unaffected by the remora's presence. Douglas Faulkner.
What is the relationship between sharks and remora fish?
The Shark and The Remora Fish – A Unique Relationship! Relationship form all over the animal kingdom. Sometimes these relationships grow between the most unlikely of pairs! In the animal world, if the relationship benefits both species it is known as a symbiotic relationship. One example of symbiosis is the relationship between sharks ...
How do remoras protect sharks?
The remora receives more than a convenient food source; the sharks protect them from predators and give them free transportation throughout the oceans. Remoras keep the waters clear of scraps around the shark, preventing the development of unhealthy organisms near the shark.
How do remoras and sharks benefit each other?
The shark and remora relationship benefits both species. Remoras eat scraps of prey dropped by the shark. They also feed off of parasites on the shark’s skin and in its mouth. This makes the shark happy because the parasites would otherwise irritate the shark. The remora receives more than a convenient food source;
Do lemon sharks eat remoras?
Sandbar and lemon sharks have been documented acting aggressively and even consuming beneficial remoras. Despite these rare instances, the shark and remora relationship is one of the ocean’s most steadfast, and will likely continue for the next million years!
Do remoras swim with sharks?
Do not confuse Remora with pilot fish, a species that travels with sharks in a similar symbiotic relationship. Pilot fish swim alongside sharks but do not attach themselves. Studies show that many shark species seem to understand the benefits a remora has on its life and well-being. Shark’s behavior changes in the presence of remoras.
Where do remoras travel?
Smaller remoras also fasten onto fish such as tuna and swordfish, and some small remoras travel in the mouths or gills of large manta rays, ocean sunfish, swordfish and sailfish . The relationship between a remora and its host is most often taken to be one of commensalism, specifically phoresy .
How big do remora fish get?
Depending on species, they grow to 30–110 cm (12–43 in) long.
How do remoras catch turtles?
Some cultures use remoras to catch turtles. A cord or rope is fastened to the remora's tail, and when a turtle is sighted, the fish is released from the boat; it usually heads directly for the turtle and fastens itself to the turtle's shell , and then both remora and turtle are hauled in. Smaller turtles can be pulled completely into the boat by this method, while larger ones are hauled within harpooning range. This practice has been reported throughout the Indian Ocean, especially from eastern Africa near Zanzibar and Mozambique, and from northern Australia near Cape York and Torres Strait.
What is the resistance of a remora?
Concerning the latter case, remoras were used as an outgroup when investigating tetrodotoxin resistance in remoras, pufferfish, and related species, finding remoras (specifically Echeneis naucrates) had a resistance of 6.1–5.5 × 10 −8 M.
What is the benefit of remora?
Physiology. Research into the physiology of the remora has been of significant benefit to the understanding of ventilation costs in fish. Remoras, like many other fishes, have two different modes of ventilation.
What is the meaning of the word "remora"?
In ancient times, the remora was believed to stop a ship from sailing. In Latin, remora means "delay", while the genus name Echeneis comes from Greek εχειν, echein ("to hold") and ναυς, naus ("a ship"). In a notable account by Pliny the Elder, the remora is blamed for the defeat of Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium and, indirectly, for the death of Caligula. A modern version of the story is given by Jorge Luis Borges in Book of Imaginary Beings (1957).
What is a remora?
The remora / ˈrɛmərə /, sometimes called suckerfish, is any of a family ( Echeneidae) of ray-finned fish in the order Carangiformes. Depending on species, they grow to 30–110 cm (12–43 in) long. Their distinctive first dorsal fins take the form of a modified oval, ...
Overview
Habitat
Remoras are tropical open-ocean dwellers, but are occasionally found in temperate or coastal waters if they have attached to large fish that have wandered into these areas. In the mid-Atlantic Ocean, spawning usually takes place in June and July; in the Mediterranean Sea, it occurs in August and September. The sucking disc begins to show when the young fish are about 1 …
Characteristics
Remora front dorsal fins have evolved to enable them to adhere by suction to smooth surfaces, and they spend most of their lives clinging to a host animal such as a whale, turtle, shark or ray. It is probably a mutualistic arrangement as the remora can move around on the host, removing ectoparasites and loose flakes of skin, while benefiting from the protection provided by the host and the constant flow of water across its gills. Although it was initially believed that remoras fe…
Physiology
Research into the physiology of the remora has been of significant benefit to the understanding of ventilation costs in fish.
Remoras, like many other fishes, have two different modes of ventilation. Ram ventilation is the process in which at higher speeds, the remora uses the force of the water moving past it to create movement of fluid in the gills. Alternatively, at lower speeds the remora will use a form of active …
Use for fishing
Some cultures use remoras to catch turtles. A cord or rope is fastened to the remora's tail, and when a turtle is sighted, the fish is released from the boat; it usually heads directly for the turtle and fastens itself to the turtle's shell, and then both remora and turtle are hauled in. Smaller turtles can be pulled completely into the boat by this method, while larger ones are hauled within harpooning range. This practice has been reported throughout the Indian Ocean, especially from …
Mythology
In ancient times, the remora was believed to stop a ship from sailing. In Latin, remora means "delay", while the genus name Echeneis comes from Greek ἔχειν, echein ("to hold") and ναῦς, naus ("a ship"). In a notable account by Pliny the Elder, the remora is blamed for the defeat of Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium and, indirectly, for the death of Caligula. A modern version of the story is given by Jorge Luis Borges in Book of Imaginary Beings (1957).
Gallery
• Live sharksucker, Echeneis naucrates
• Common remora, Remora remora
• Nurse shark with remoras attending
See also
• List of fish families