Overview
- A peer-reviewed paper in Ecology and Evolution reports seven cases of remoras entering the single opening manta rays use for waste and reproduction.
- The observations span reef, giant oceanic, and Atlantic manta species across multiple ocean basins.
- Researchers also documented remoras under gill slits and noted injuries that match likely intrusions into the gills of juveniles and adults.
- The authors suggest the fish may seek shelter, food from waste or parasites, or lower drag, but the cause remains unclear.
- The team warns that long stays inside the opening could hinder mating, birth, or defecation and calls for targeted studies to measure how often this happens and how it affects already vulnerable rays.