NEED TO KNOW
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Suckerfish, also known as remoras, have been observed diving into manta rays’ rear ends seven times over the past 15 years
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“We think this is an under-reported phenomena because, oftentimes, you just see the very tip of the tail poking out from the backside of the manta ray,” said Emily Yeager, a marine researcher at Miami University
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While suckerfish often form a symbiotic relationship with their hosts, this unusual habit could potentially cause skin damage to the manta rays’ delicate skin
Suckerfish are finding refuge in the most peculiar places.
The small fish, also known as remoras, are known for attaching themselves to larger marine animals — including whales and sharks — for protection, free transportation and food. But in the past 15 years, scientists have noticed the fish exhibiting a more unusual habit.
According to a recent study published in Ecology and Evolution, scientists have observed seven instances of “cloacal diving behavior in manta rays” — meaning that the fish dive into a manta ray’s rear end.
“Despite the scope of these observations, photographic evidence alone fails to capture the drivers behind the occurrence of this intrusive behavior,” the study states, going on to predict that the behavior “could be a response to perceived predation risk or other threat by the remora.”
Manta ray and a remora (stock)
Credit: Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty
On one occasion, a suckerfish was captured disappearing into a manta ray’s backside after a diver swimming nearby appeared to startle it. While the manta ray “briefly shuttered” in response, it continued to “swim away with the remora still inside of its cloacal opening.”
While only seven instances have been witnessed by researchers, Emily Yeager, a marine researcher at Miami University, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that the phenomenon likely happens much more often.
“We think this is an under-reported phenomena because, oftentimes, you just see the very tip of the tail poking out from the backside of the manta ray,” Yeager, the lead author of the study, explained. “They’re really wedging themselves into that area.”
For her part, Brooke Flammang, a professor of biological sciences at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, believes that the suckerfish may be looking for food rather than safety in the backside of a manta ray.
“The behaviour is likely coprophagy,” she told the CBC in an email. “Latin for eating poop.”
“They can be territorial about sharing space on the same host,” she added. “As weird as it sounds, I honestly have to say I am not totally surprised by this. Remoras are just that weird.”
While suckerfish often form symbiotic relationships with their hosts, it is possible that their suction cups may cause skin damage to the manta rays — especially since their cloaca openings are much more sensitive than other parts of their bodies.
“It could cause really severe damage and influence reproduction and also excretion of waste over time,” Yeager told the outlet.
“Oftentimes when we think of nature, we like to put these relationships into pretty discrete boxes so we can define them easier,” Yeager said. “But what this has taught me is that these relationships probably exist on a spectrum, just like any relationship in your life.”
Read the original article on People