Rare Footage of Remora Sucker Fishes Whale-Surfing on Humpback Whales Off Australia

Short summary

By Charlotte Graham-McLay (Associated Press) — Rare footage from humpback migrations off Queensland, Australia shows remora, or sucker fish, attaching to and riding on humpback whales. The remoras use an adhesive head plate to form a vacuum seal, then cling to the whale as it moves through the sea, feeding on dead skin and sea lice. In groups of up to 50, they detach and reattach with timing that appears synchronized to the whale's breaching and other rapid movements. While the remoras benefit from a free ride and food, scientists note the relationship may be more complex than mutualism, as whales sometimes appear irritated by the hitchhikers. The full travel extent of the remoras along the humpback highway remains a mystery.

Medium summary

In a study anchored by researchers from Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Program, accidental video captures revealed clusters of remora fish hitching rides on migrating humpback whales off the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. Remora australis possess a suction-cap head that creates a vacuum seal, enabling them to grip whale skin and latch on for extended periods as the giant mammals traverse the ocean. The footage, recorded during the whales' annual Antarctic-to-Australia migration, shows remoras detaching just before a whale breaches, then returning to the same attachment point within seconds. The relationship appears to be at least neutral or mildly beneficial for the remoras, who feed on dead skin and sea lice. However, Meynecke notes that some whales display annoyance when crowded with remoras, suggesting the hitchhiking is not always welcomed. Remoras can travel in large groups, sometimes up to fifty individuals, and their full migratory range beyond the immediate filming area is unknown. In the absence of whale hosts, remoras will attach to other large marine animals or even divers, highlighting a flexible, opportunistic strategy. The study underscores how a single field camera can reveal complex animal behavior that challenges assumptions about interspecies relationships and the dynamics of a busy marine migratory corridor off eastern Australia.

"They knew exactly when to let go of the body of the whale before it was breaching the surface of the water and then returned to the same spot only seconds later." - Meynecke