Ask a Shark Expert
Read shark researcher Mark Marks' responses on the following shark topics:
Disappearing sharks
Shark evolution
Shark deterrent?
Nonstop swimmers?
Shark posturing
Swimming with the sharks?
Shark diving
Shark education
Shark enemies
Shark reproduction
Great white disposition
Favorite shark
Shark eyes
Shark companions
Bite pressure
Bladderless sharks
Warmblooded killers
Hammerheads
Thresher sharks
Great whites in captivity
Shark protection
Q: On Shark Companions
Could you please provide me with information on why great white sharks have no remoras (I guess it is the name for the small fish species that live with the sharks) sticking on their skins, unlike all other shark species?
Best regards,
Deniz Gencaga
Although white sharks are typically not seen with accompanying remoras, that isn't to say that remoras won't hitch a ride every now and then. I have observed and filmed literally hundreds of white sharks off South Africa. During these encounters, I've only seen three individuals with the remora — sharksucker, Echeneis remora, attached. In three cases, the sharksuckers were attached to the shark's ventral surface between the pectoral fins. Perhaps one explanation for the lack of white shark-suckerfish sightings on film is the tendency for most species of remora to be found in warmer water distributions. Although white sharks have been recorded in warm waters as well, nearly all shark documentaries featuring white sharks are filmed in cooler water locations, such as the Pacific coast of North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
