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How does a remora travel by attaching to a larger fish?
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Locomotion
These birds largely reside in coastal areas of North America, although some populations live in the continent's interior along large rivers.
Remoras utilize a specialized anatomical structure to facilitate their movement through the ocean by hitching rides on larger hosts. They adhere to sharks, other large marine animals, and ships using a flat, oval-shaped sucking disk located on the top of their head.1
This unique disk is an evolutionary adaptation derived from the spiny portion of the fish’s dorsal fin. It features a series of paired, crosswise plates that allow the remora to create suction and remain securely attached while the host travels. By attaching to these transporters, remoras conserve energy during locomotion and gain access to food sources, such as the leavings of their host's meals or external parasites found on the host's body.12