Echeneis naucrates (Linnaeus) (Perciformes, Echeneidae), unusual interaction with a diver ÁTHILA BERTONCINI ANDRADE UFSCar - Universidade Federal de São Carlos – PPGERN - Rod. Washington Luiz, km 235 Monjolinho CxP.676 São Carlos SP 13.565-905 Brasil. E-mail: athilapeixe@gmail.com
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The remora, Echeneis naucrates Linnaeus, 1758, is already known to attach to a variety of hosts including, marine turtles (Sazima & Grossman, 2006), cetaceans (Santos & Sazima, 2005), elasmobranches and teleost fishes (at least 38 fish species), including conspecifics (Brunnschweiler & Sazima, 2006) and divers (Carvalho-Filho, 1999). Remora’s suction disk is the result of a modified first dorsal fin, which migrated anteriorly onto the neurocranium and underwent a series of morphological modifications (Fulcher & Motta, 2006). On January 21st, 2005, during an offshore dive operation in Salvador (BA, Brazil), two remoras approached a dive group swimming close and following the group for 10 minutes. When a regular speed was kept by the photographer (8 m depth), one of the remoras (approximately 45 cm total length) positioned and attached to the diver. It remained attached for over a minute, detaching and attaching again, repositioning to the diver’s right thigh during this short period of time. CLS Sampaio (pers. com.) also reports two other similar registers (15 and 35 cm total length), attached to the diver’s belly, at the same dive place on JAN and FEB 2005 and similar depths during a SCUBA decompression stop. Picture Characteristics: Canon PowerShot S70; Resolution of 7 megapixels (180 dpi); autofocus; Speed ISO-50; diaphragm aperture 2.8; time of exposition 1/250 A; time of exposition 1/400 B. Canon Housing WP-DC40. References Brunnschweiler, J. M. & Sazima, I. 2006. A new and unexpected host for the sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) with a brief review of the echenied-host interaction. JMBA2 - Biodiversity Records, 3. Accessible at http://www.mba.ac.uk/jmba/pdf/5434.pdf Carvalho-Filho, A., 1999. Peixes: Costa Brasileira,3rd ed. São Paulo, S: Melro. Fulcher, B. A. & Motta, P. J., 2006. Suction disk performance of echeneid fishes. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 84, 42–50. Santos, M. C. de O. & Sazima, I. 2005. The sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) attached to a tucuxi dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) in estuarine waters in south-eastern Brazil. JMBA2 – Biodiversity Records, 2. Accessible at http://www.mba.ac.uk/jmba/jmba2biodiversityrecords.php Sazima, I., Moura, R. L. & Rodrigues, M. C. M. 1999. Juvenile sharksucker, Echeneis naucrates (Echeneidae), acting as a stationbased cleaner fish. Cybium, 23: 377-380. Sazima, I. & Grossman, A. 2006. Turtle riders: remoras on marine turtles in Southwest Atlantic. Neotropical Ichthyology, 4(1):123-126.
This picture may be used for academic or personal purposes but always accompanied by the author's information (copyright). To obtain permission for commercial use or for any other non-personal, non-academic use, or to inquire about reprints, fees, and licensing, please contact the author via e-mail. Pan-American Journal of Aquatic Sciences (2007), 2 (1): I