Slug

Its now been noted that they attach to other animals as well. In this case, the Florida Manatee. Looks to do more harm then good for the Manatees and they seem to not like it.

Pictures from the article below.



http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2009..._Nico_etal.pdf

Red1313

Oh wow... another good reason not to release fish into the wild...

Lucy

I wouldn't like it either. lol

CHoffman

Aww. That's kinda sad!!. poor guys.

Regal

That's so sad.

Tony G.

its so sad, its cute though, the manatee cant get them off

Meenu

wow...

gremlin

"Just hitchin' a ride - oh, and don't mind my teeth, I just don't want to fall off with how fast you swim and all . . ."

I guess there isn't enough algae for all those plecos. Although, I thought plecos were freshwater and manatees were saltwater?

jgon_

Very interesting find!

aquarist48

Thanks for sharing the photos and link Slug. Very interesting!
Ken

thorpbrian

Manatees live in both salt and fresh water. They are mammals after all.

sirdarksol

Them being mammals has little to do with it. Most dolphins will die in fresh water. The river dolphins will die in salt water.
However, manatees like estuaries, which range from freshwater (just up beyond the river mouth) to saltwater (getting stronger as you go out to sea). It likely is a shock to the plecos when the manatees swim out to sea.

The article said that scientists are not entirely sure about the benefits/negatives of this behavior, but the manatees certainly don't enjoy it.

Elodea

Wow! Kinda like remoras if you ask me.

gremlin

I thought remoras did not attach with their mouths. Don't remoras have a suction thing on the backs of their heads so they hitch a ride without damaging the "host"?

gremlin

I knew they were mammals, but then so are orcas and dolphins and porpoises and . . .

Maybe the manatees will stay in the saltier water so the plecos won't bother them. Or maybe the plecos will adjust (over time) to the ocean water. Hmmmm - just think how big a pleco could grow in the ocean.

Butterfly

The article said the plecs were feeding off epibiota(aquatic vegetation)
and other stuff that grows on the Manatees.
They are wintering in thermal artesian springs so I imagine thats why the plec are able to be there. The manatees reacted in different ways from no reaction to aggitation.
I didn't see any wounds from the plecos so maybe there is an odd symbiotic relationship growing there
It's odd to say the least.
Carol

dancerhas

That's fascinating!

MissMTS

Wow Matt that's really interesting. Thanks for sharing

Like Sirdarksol said, they can live in a variety of salinities. I went to Sea World recently and was amazed to sea the manatees swimming around with swordtails, freshwater catfish, severums, datnoids, and pacus as well as other fish that I am sure I'm forgetting. It was so amazing to see

WEPS4

Can you imagine if the plecos get acclimated to to saltwater and spread throughout the oceans of the world carpeting mammals so that wale watching is never the same. Just like that one aquarium plant that mutated and is taking over the Mediterranean seas.

stefjane

DUDE I don't think that I'll ever complain about mozzies or ticks or leeches or lice again!!!!
That's just..........wow