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Whenever I watch a video clip of a shark or a whale. I always see these small fish swimming next to them as if sticking on to them. Why do they do that?

2006-10-06 18:59:15 · 10 answers · asked by TempestKain 2 in Science & Mathematics Zoology

10 answers

Both pilot fish and remoras accompany large fish like sharks. The remoras actually do stick to the larger fish, by a sort of suction cup on top of their head. The pilot fish do not stick on, they just swim closely alongside. These fish do the shark no particular good, but no harm either. The small fish benefit however in a couple of ways. First, protection. The shark is their "bodyguard". A medium size fish that might eat the smaller fish isn't going to approach a shark. And secondly, when the shark feeds, the smaller fish eat the small scraps from the shark's meal.

Pilot fish get their name from the early belief that they actually guide the shark to food, the way a harbor pilot guides a ship in to port.

2006-10-07 15:44:28 · answer #1 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0 0

confident, of their organic habitat, or an appropriate sized tank, they're particularly rather energetic and swims close to the outdoors. they could nonetheless stay in a constrained area the place maximum different species could die, yet this capability made them to be offered in those betta plastic tank which you spot lots in wal-mart. I inherited a betta from a coworker as quickly as (fish is termed Jungle Bunny), who basically did no longer desire to guard the fish anymore. jointly as living in his prism cup, he remains very nonetheless and basically strikes slightly while fed. yet as quickly as the betta is going into my tank, he will become an avid swimmer! He likes to swim up cutting-edge against the flow from the clear out, dives down, then comes back up in a circle. specially circumstances he will basically flow from side to side alongside the tank besides. He somewhat does have his own character, very energetic yet no longer a bully with the different tankmates. He lived a quite fruitful existence for about 3 years until now passing away.

2016-10-18 23:15:30 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

it`s called mutualism symbiosis.

The small fish eats the parasites from shark, and the shark get rid of parasite.

the other advantages for the small fish is they are protected from predators, which are shark`s prey.

shark`s prey love to eat small fish, but sharks do not.

2006-10-06 23:23:29 · answer #3 · answered by Papilio paris 5 · 0 0

well, yeah,
same with the people,
they stick to the bigger ones so
that predators would be afraid to
go near the small fish..

2006-10-07 02:39:00 · answer #4 · answered by GeLo'14 3 · 0 0

They're called remora or cleaner wrasses. They clean up the beast kind of like dental floss and in exchange they get protection. Its called mutualism.

2006-10-06 19:08:19 · answer #5 · answered by alwaysmoose 7 · 0 0

Pilot fish, they sometimes will swim like that with boats also.

2006-10-06 19:07:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

Same reason little gangsters stagger around next to big ones.

2006-10-06 23:56:27 · answer #7 · answered by stevewbcanada 6 · 0 0

Protection & food, Yea an a free ride.

2006-10-06 19:03:30 · answer #8 · answered by Skeeter 5 · 0 1

Because the big fish make them feel safer? I don't know.

2006-10-06 19:02:08 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

because they are usually parasitic fish

2006-10-06 19:06:58 · answer #10 · answered by Me 3 · 0 1

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