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Puerto Rico

The current weather in Culebra
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Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: William Bachrach (---.adsl.snet.net)
Date:   03-20-12 08:23

Another great trip to Culebra just wrapped up. The sting rays off Tamarindo beach were new to me. Several had a fish partner cruising just inches above the ray--talk about your synchronized swimmers.! Are they sharing the food?
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   03-20-12 10:27

Probably a remora. They do tag along, usually attached by mouth, and scavenge food from the rays' hunting.
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank S. (---.nyc.res.rr.com)
Date:   03-20-12 21:49

remora attatch from the top of their head. they have a modified fin that creates suction.
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: jcapestany (---.res.bhn.net)
Date:   03-21-12 07:27

Sounds to me like a Clean Station or Fish Wash, LOL
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: William Bachrach (---.adsl.snet.net)
Date:   03-22-12 08:08

I doubt it was a remora and it was definitely not attached to the sting ray. It was probably 15 inches long, almost the size of the sting ray's body. Fish and ray have a relationship of some sort.
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank S. (---.nyc.res.rr.com)
Date:   03-22-12 11:44

it probably was a remora. theyre not permanently attatched. and they often swim next to or underneath larger fish. they tend to eat the scraps. fish are messy eaters, lol.
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Herb (67.65.139.---)
Date:   03-23-12 11:29

We saw the "remora" stuck to the turtles. The fish we saw following the stingrays we black and looked like torpedos.

Peace out
Herb
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (173.243.87.---)
Date:   03-23-12 13:44

Alright, Diving Debbie here!

It was most likely a remora in all scenarios described here. They are flat on the bottom and attach themselves to and/or cruise along with large animals, usually rays, turtles and sharks. They do this on top of the animal and underneath as well; they can cruise and ride upside down. If you see a remora while in the water, you know there is some large "host" nearby. They have symbiotic relationships with the host, as they are cleaners, and are feeding off of the parasites found on the host animals.

If they can't find a host, they often will attach to a diver or a boat as well.

Here in Culebra, they are silvery to grayish to black. According to Humann's Reef Fish ID book, they can be anywhere from 10-18 inches long, with a max up to 3.5 feet.

Happy Diving!
Debbie
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (173.243.87.---)
Date:   03-23-12 13:50

<http://aquaviews.net/explore-the-blue/remoras-ride/#>

Happy Diving!
Debbie
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Arroz (---.73.60.69.cpe.seasidehighspeed.com)
Date:   03-23-12 14:34

Humm, being a messy eater I suppose I should check my underside before I come out of the water - don't want any symbiotic relationships with a fish LOL
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank S. (---.nyc.res.rr.com)
Date:   03-24-12 16:27

actually, they are not flat on the bottom. they are flat on the top.
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (173.243.87.---)
Date:   03-25-12 16:23

Right, Frank S. Thanks for the correction.

Happy Diving!
Debbie
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Vicki moore (---.dhcp.jcsn.tn.charter.com)
Date:   03-26-12 00:25

One of the funniest things I ever saw while diving happened on a dive out of Destin FL. We were hanging on the anchor line at 15 ft for our 3 minute safety stop. All of a sudden a fellow with very wide eyes and a panicked expression on his face, passed us in his haste to get on the diveboat. He was telling us about this small shark that was trying to suck his face. We all almost rolled, knowing it was the remora we had seen while hanging on the anchor line.

Vicki in Tennessee
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Tate Kauffman (206.192.99.---)
Date:   04-09-12 08:14

Though I am sure that the above information about remoras is correct, William may also have been correct about the fish not being a remora. I have seen bar jacks and black jacks swimming directly above rays on Culebra (come to think of it, that may also have been off Tamarindo) just as he describes. I have always assumed that they, too, scavenge for scraps that the ray stirs up from the bottom, though I don't know this for sure.
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Re: Sting ray with friend
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Nick & Michelle (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   04-28-12 13:55

I think I know what you mean, William, because I saw the same thing at Tamarindo a couple of weeks ago as well. It was a silvery and yellow fish that was hovering just right above the blue ray, almost touching its back. It was amusing watching the ray, who was just above the sand, try to shake his "partner". The ray would swim in one direction, then stop short, to try and get the fish off his back! No matter how the ray tried in different directions using the same tactic, the hovering fish would continue to track back over the ray. One of the highlights of our snorkeling.
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