Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China
The live sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) is a bony fish that uses a specialized suction disk on its head to hitchhike on marine animals. Although live sharksuckers have been recorded attaching to various cetaceans worldwide, such associations between live sharksuckers and cetaceans have rarely been...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1516386/full |
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| author | Fuxing Wu Fuxing Wu Bing Zhou Bing Zhou Hao Wu Yufei Dai Yu Zhang Zhongchang Song |
| author_facet | Fuxing Wu Fuxing Wu Bing Zhou Bing Zhou Hao Wu Yufei Dai Yu Zhang Zhongchang Song |
| author_sort | Fuxing Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The live sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) is a bony fish that uses a specialized suction disk on its head to hitchhike on marine animals. Although live sharksuckers have been recorded attaching to various cetaceans worldwide, such associations between live sharksuckers and cetaceans have rarely been reported in the East Asia region. From 2011 to 2024, we conducted a long-term survey of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, one of the key habitats for this cetacean in the seas around China. From 2022 to 2024, we recorded live sharksucker attachments on four Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin individuals, with a total of 11 events in Xiamen Bay. Specifically, we observed a live sharksucker temporarily detaching from the body of an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin when the dolphin cleared its body out of the water and landed on one side multiple times. This reaction of the live sharksucker could be an adaptive characteristic to cope with the side breach behavior of their cetacean hosts. Considering the declining population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, further investigation into the potential impacts of live sharksuckers on these dolphins is required. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a7d3a4958f994caca5e6deed70b3103a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-a7d3a4958f994caca5e6deed70b3103a2025-02-12T05:14:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-02-011210.3389/fmars.2025.15163861516386Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, ChinaFuxing Wu0Fuxing Wu1Bing Zhou2Bing Zhou3Hao Wu4Yufei Dai5Yu Zhang6Zhongchang Song7Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, ChinaObservation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai, ChinaThird Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, ChinaObservation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai, ChinaFujian Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen, ChinaThird Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, ChinaKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, ChinaKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, ChinaThe live sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) is a bony fish that uses a specialized suction disk on its head to hitchhike on marine animals. Although live sharksuckers have been recorded attaching to various cetaceans worldwide, such associations between live sharksuckers and cetaceans have rarely been reported in the East Asia region. From 2011 to 2024, we conducted a long-term survey of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, one of the key habitats for this cetacean in the seas around China. From 2022 to 2024, we recorded live sharksucker attachments on four Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin individuals, with a total of 11 events in Xiamen Bay. Specifically, we observed a live sharksucker temporarily detaching from the body of an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin when the dolphin cleared its body out of the water and landed on one side multiple times. This reaction of the live sharksucker could be an adaptive characteristic to cope with the side breach behavior of their cetacean hosts. Considering the declining population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, further investigation into the potential impacts of live sharksuckers on these dolphins is required.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1516386/fullbehaviorestuaryIndo-Pacific humpback dolphinlive sharksuckerinteraction |
| spellingShingle | Fuxing Wu Fuxing Wu Bing Zhou Bing Zhou Hao Wu Yufei Dai Yu Zhang Zhongchang Song Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China Frontiers in Marine Science behavior estuary Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin live sharksucker interaction |
| title | Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China |
| title_full | Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China |
| title_fullStr | Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China |
| title_short | Attachment of live sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Xiamen Bay, China |
| title_sort | attachment of live sharksuckers echeneis naucrates to indo pacific humpback dolphins sousa chinensis in xiamen bay china |
| topic | behavior estuary Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin live sharksucker interaction |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1516386/full |
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