Swim!

3GOING FOR A RIDE

The remora fish was about two feet long. By the way Paul pulled it in with such ease, Scotty guessed it weighed less than three pounds.

“It’s called a suckerfish,” Scotty explained. “Its species-specific name is a remora. See that thing on the top of its head? It’s like a suction cup. It attaches to other, bigger fish in the ocean, like sharks. The suckerfish and the shark have a mutually beneficial relationship. The suckerfish attaches to the shark and the shark takes it wherever it goes; suckerfish get free rides in the ocean and can conserve energy. Some remora fish can stay attached for as long as three months. The shark takes care of the suckerfish. Suckerfish benefit from the shark’s protection and free rides in the ocean, and they get to eat the scraps of each kill,” Scotty said, pointing out each part of the fish as he explained.

“The suckerfish and the shark have a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“But why do sharks allow this? What are the benefits to them?” Zach asked.

Scotty pointed at Zach and smiled approvingly, excited to dive deeper into the lesson. “Because parasites are also always trying to connect to a host. So the suckerfish eats the parasites that can be found on the shark’s skin. If a parasite gets into a shark’s gills it can affect its breathing or kill it. If the parasite gets into the shark’s nostril it can attack its brain. No matter how powerful a shark is, a shark knows it needs help and good teammates to thrive.