Diver Films Peculiar Fish Trying To Latch On His GoPro

Remoras are a very bizarre fish. They are equipped with a suction plate on the top of their head that allows them to attach to turtles, sharks, rays or any large creature. These suckers are actually highly adapted fins. They are not parasites and they do not feed off the host. They are merely lazy fish that attach so they do not have to exert themselves by swimming. The benefit to following the larger creatures believed to be that the remora is able to feed off the scraps of food that are created during feeding. More recent research actually shows that remoras feed more on the feces of the larger animals and not as much on the food scraps. Remoras are also offered a degree of protection while attached to a large predator or large sea turtle. They don't have to exert energy in swimming or by actively forcing water over their gills.

Remoras are designed to swim under larger creatures and the top of their bodies is flattened to make this work. But they will often attach to the top or side of other creatures which requires them to swim upside down. The remora is very capable of swimming freely in any orientation and they are agile enough to move rapidly around their host as needed. In the case of sea turtles, the remoras quickly flip around to the top of the shell when the turtle rests on the bottom. Remaining under the turtle would pin the remora against the coral.

There are actually some benefits for the host creature in this arrangement as the remoras dislodge external parasites and dead skin from their surface as they move around.

Remoras are always on the lookout for a new host and will often investigate divers. Large rays and turtles are sometimes annoyed by the remoras and are believed to swim close to divers or other creatures in an effort to tempt the remoras off of them with a better option.

In this case, the remora eagerly swims at the diver with the camera but obviously decides that the GoPro is not big enough or suitable and he goes right back to the turtle. It is very interesting to see how the fish flips over in the process.

A little known fact about remoras is that some fishermen have been using them to harvest turtles. The fishermen catch remoras and then hook them by the tail. They release the remoras when they sight a turtle and wait for them to attach. The fishermen are then able to haul the turtle into the boat. In the case of larger turtles, the remoras sucker is strong enough to haul the turtle to the side of the boat to allow the turtle to be harpooned.

The remora is a very unique fish with fascinating adaptations. They grow to a length of approximately 3 feet and are seemingly everywhere in the ocean where large creatures are found.