What Is the Relationship Between Pilot Fish & Shark?

The Relationship

• The shark and the pilot fish are found in close proximity most of the time. The pilot fish will swim along with the shark, not being eaten and feeding on smaller fish and scraps that the shark leaves behind. The shark does not eat the pilot fish and the pilot fish remains safe from predators that dare not come near the shark.

Species and Other Riders

• While the pilot fish certainly seems to prefer sharks, they will also follow along with boats, sea turtles, whales and rays. Of the many sharks that the pilot fish hangs out with, the oceanic white tip seems to be a favorite species. Remoras are another type of creature that hangs out in similar fashion, cleaning up after a shark's scraps and cleaning the skin of the shark. Remoras, however, actually attach themselves to the shark rather than swimming alongside them like the pilot fish.

Legends and Folklore

• Long ago, sailors saw the pilot fish swimming alongside their boats and alongside other large ocean creatures. Over time, the sailors began to believe that the fish were "piloting" the sailors and creatures to safety or food. There are many variations of this story, all of which have no scientific basis. Smaller pilot fish will swim in and out of a shark's mouth cleaning parasites and eating bits from their teeth. Because the shark rarely eats them, many old timers think that the pilot fish is venomous. This also is a legend with no basis in truth.

Advantages for the Pilot Fish

• The advantages of this relationship for the pilot fish are clearly protection from other predatory fish and easy pickings for food. Another advantage is that the pilot fish is able to travel much farther by swimming alongside these hosts. Sharks swim three times faster than the pilot fish, but the pilot fish hitches a ride on the current surrounding the shark. This allows them to travel much faster and get to food sources much easier.

Advantages for the Shark

• The relationship provides no clear advantages for the shark. The pilot fish does remove bacteria, parasites and leftovers from the skin of the shark, however, which is arguably an advantage. For whatever reason, the shark allows the pilot fish to hang around unmolested, but nobody knows why. The fact that the pilot fish also does this with ships, rays and even seaweed when they are young makes it even harder to fully understand.