Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) usually do not travel alone. In addition to its capsule, a large cetacean usually houses dozens of remoras. Also known as suckerthese evolutionary wonders Echaeneids Family hitchhiker rides whales to feast on sea lice and more crustaceans they also live on the skin of marine mammals. To achieve this, the remora has a characteristic oval dorsal fin that acts as an adapted sucker. The fin's flexible membrane ridges rise and fall as needed to provide traction, allowing it to either stick to the whale or release and swim independently when needed.
While its physical mechanics are generally understood, marine biologists know less about the remora's daily life alongside its patron whale. To see this symbiotic relationship, marine biologists from Australia's Griffith University decided to tag humpback whales with underwater cameras during their seasonal migration along the country's east coast. So far, they have learned not only the daily habits of a remora, but also the usual menu of fish, as well as the way some whales look at their tagalongs.
Olaf Meinecke recorded several videos from cameras attached to humpback whales. Credit: Griffith University
“I think one of the biggest surprises when we examine the videos captured with our tags is the ability of the remoras to move freely and continue to return to the whale's body, even during very rapid ascents to the surface and immediately after the whale breaks through and returns to the water,” marine scientist Olaf Meinecke. says the statement.
This feat even extended to cases where the whale quickly surfaced and came to the surface of the ocean. Immediately after the whale returned underwater, the remoras were observed to easily attach to their humpback host.
“It was amazing to see how fast and agile they were during several trips with the whales,” he added.
Remoras also appear to have adapted to the complex hydrodynamics of whale travel. Technically, they do not create suction. Instead, their dorsal plates create a vacuum effect that allows them to practically stick to the whale's skin.
Remora species such as the whale sucker (Remora southern) are also not picky eaters. When sea lice and other parasites are not around, they often begin to chew the skin shed by the whale. But despite the mutual relationship, the whales don't seem to be the biggest fans.
“Even though they are likely beneficial to the whales because they eat other host organisms such as sea lice, the whales do not seem to like their presence,” Meinecke said. “We watched the whales monitor them, make numerous violations, and then check again.”
Despite this behind-the-scenes data from whale cameras, Meinecke's team still has a lot to learn about remoras. For example, they still don't know whether fish accompany whales as they travel south toward Antarctica. Then the question of the overall life cycle arises. Remoras appear along East Australian Currentwhere the small larvae develop into miniature suckers. To survive, these young remoras need to quickly find a host.
“This could mean that the timing of breeding may be related to the whales' migratory cycle,” Meinecke said.
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