Suckerfish, also known as remoras, have been observed diving into manta rays’ rear ends seven times over the past 15 years<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
“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<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
While suckerfish often form a symbiotic relationship with their hosts, this unusual habit could potentially cause skin damage to the manta rays’ delicate skin<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Suckerfish are finding refuge in the most peculiar places.<\/p>\n
The small fish, also known as remoras, are known for attaching themselves to larger marine animals \u2014 including whales and sharks \u2014 for protection, free transportation and food. But in the past 15 years, scientists have noticed the fish exhibiting a more unusual habit.<\/p>\n
According to a recent study published in Ecology and Evolution<\/a>, scientists have observed seven instances of \u201ccloacal diving behavior in manta rays\u201d \u2014 meaning that the fish dive into a manta ray’s rear end.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite the scope of these observations, photographic evidence alone fails to capture the drivers behind the occurrence of this intrusive behavior,\u201d the study states, going on to predict that the behavior \u201ccould be a response to perceived predation risk or other threat by the remora.\u201d<\/p>\n Manta ray and a remora (stock) 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 \u201cbriefly shuttered\u201d in response, it continued to \u201cswim away with the remora still inside of its cloacal opening.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Manta](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/672d9e513996993a54acbaf5d85dff6c.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Alexis Rosenfeld\/Getty<\/p>\n