Remoras, cobias and rainbow runners. Part 22 of my DVD, "Reef Life of the Andaman", available at http://www.bubblevision.com/marine-life-DVD.htm

In this video we look at more fish that form symbiotic relationships with larger marine life.

Live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates), a type of remora, attach themselves to sharks and other marine animals using their first dorsal fin which has evolved into a sucker. The sharksucker gets a free ride and feeds off food scraps left by the host, which also gives it protection. This is known as a commensal relationship, whereby the suckerfish benefits but the host derives neither significant benefit nor harm. Some scientists believe that the remora removes parasites etc. from the host, making the relationship a form of mutualism rather than commensalism. At various dive sites in Thailand and the Mergui Archipelago of Burma (Myanmar) we see live sharksuckers attached to zebra sharks, a whale shark, a spot-fin porcupinefish, a bridled parrotfish, and even a couple of scuba divers.

In another example of commensal symbiosis, the cobia (Rachycentron canadum) is similarly usually found accompanying larger marine animals. We see them following manta rays, blotched fantail rays, and a grey reef shark. The cobia gains some protection from the larger host, and often feeds on its faeces.

Rainbow runners (Elagatis bipinnulata), members of the jack family, are also often seen accompanying larger marine life, but for a different reason. They rub themselves against the skin of the host in order to remove parasites etc. from their own bodies. We see rainbow runners rubbing against a grey reef shark, a whitetip reef shark, and a hawksbill turtle.

The full narration is available as English, German or Spanish subtitles by turning on the closed captions (CC). There are also closed captions available showing scientific and common names of the marine life in English, German or Dutch, along with dive site names.

"Reef Life of the Andaman" is being serialised weekly on YouTube. Please subscribe to my channel to receive notifications of new episodes as I release them. The series features descriptions of 213 different marine species including more than 100 tropical fish, along with sharks, rays, moray eels, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, sea slugs, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, turtles, sea snakes, starfish, sea cucumbers, corals, worms etc..

I have more scuba diving videos and underwater footage on my website at:
http://www.bubblevision.com

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The video was shot by Nick Hope with a Sony VX2000 DV camera in a Gates housing. It was edited in Sony Vegas Pro then deinterlaced with QTGMC and upscaled to 720p HD in AviSynth.

Thanks to Mark Ellison for the music track, "Similan Sunrise".

Thanks to Santana Diving of Phuket (http://www.santanaphuket.com), to Elfi and Uli Erfort and Daniel Bruehwiler for help with the German translation, and to Frank Nelissen for the Dutch subtitles.