Fish of the Week #2: The Pilot Fish
The pilot fish (Naucrates ductar) is a member of the trevally, or jackfish, family. It is a widely distributed fish, found in warm/tropical open seas.
It is known to follow ships, and many ancient people believed that it would navigate a ship towards its desired course.
Many are often found near sharks, rays, or sea turtles, eating ectoparasites (parasites that latch onto the skin of a host) and their larger companion’s leftovers.
Despite being seen with many other marine creatures, pilot fish appear to have a more mutualistic relationship with the white-tip reef shark in particular. It benefits them both because the fish is protected and the shark is free from parasites.
Younger or smaller pilot fish in particular are known to swim into sharks’ mouths to clean their teeth.
Fun facts:
It can temporarily change color when excited, with its black bands turning into a lighter blue or silvery shade.
The pilot fish’s name may have come from one of three things. They swam near ships when they were near ports and were believed to guide or “pilot” the captain towards them. They were also believed to lead sharks to their food and ships, whales, or swimmers to safety.
In Greek myth, a sailor named Pompilus helped a nymph Ocyrhoe flee from Apollo. He moved her to Samos and Apollo punished him by turning him into a fish.
Pancrates of Arcadia, a Greek poet, stated that it was a sacred fish to Poseidon and that a fisherman (called Epopeus) ate one and paid for it with his life.
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This was a far more interesting one than the hickory shad. I especially liked the myths I read about it.