A Fish That Hitches Rides Where the Sun Doesn’t Shine
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Researchers have documented a newly observed behavior called "cloacal diving," where remora fish disappear inside the rear end (cloaca) of manta rays as a defense strategy.
- This behavior, previously seen in whale sharks, has now been observed in all three known species of manta rays across three ocean basins, indicating it may be common among remoras and rays.
- The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, includes seven instances of cloacal diving recorded between 2010 and 2025, with remoras sometimes fully or partially entering the manta ray's cloaca.
- Researchers noted that manta rays do not appear to tolerate this behavior well, suggesting it may be an uncomfortable or unwelcome interaction for the rays.