Unremorseful Remora
It’s been 3 weeks living in the city and I’ve yet to find the “city life.”
However, it’s when you don’t look for it that you find what you’re looking for. Right.
SUBJECT: REMORA
A fish with a suction cup. You’d be surprised how many species with suction cups exist in the ocean.
This fish is not a parasite. It’s at most a little bit advantageous, but not to the expense of its host. This remora is the Belizian remora, but I’ll focus on general characteristics.
The remora doesn’t discrimiate who it associates with. They may decide as a group or individually to hang out with Mr. Shark or with Mr. Sea Turtle, or Mr. Elliot. What’s important is that its buddy a) doesn’t eat it (because some sea turtles prey on remora), b) provides it with transportation, and c) provides it with food.
Food can both mean, the remora will clean up the scraps too small for its large buddy/shuttle to consume or the remora will remove parasites from its buddy thus providing a service.
Remora (Echeneis naucrates), also known as Suckerfish and Sharksucker, attached to a Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris). Found in most tropical and some warm temperate waters of the world.
What’s interesting to note, is that this fish Looks upside down, but here it is correct side up. It’s more aero-dynamic with it’s small jaw towards the body of the host/shuttle-fish.
However, sometimes, you will see a remora riding on top of the sea turtle’s shell. In which case, the remora is being transported and swimminig upside-down. That gives me a headache thinking about it.
STORY:
Yesterday night, I made like an unintentional remora and witnessed something I hadn’t planned on seeing.
I was on my way home and a studio I had been eyeing for weeks had its door opened, and so I went in to grab a class schedule. I noted that a clump of people were entering after me, but I assumed they were students heading to class. I guess I was curious and wanted to see what class they were taking. Oddly, then someone at the end of the hall ushered them…and me, down another hallway. Odd to be ushered to class…but I followed: up a flight of stairs, another turn, then another hallway, then we met a big smiling gentlemen sitting in a chair next to a closed door. He smiled at us, those people before me smiled back, I clenched a tight expression and he extended his arm to pull back a heavy door, and I was ushered from behind and followed two girls into a large dark room.
Just in time to see a dance show! It was very city-slick and very witty. Adjectives I could also use to describe it: expressive, passionate, strong, sexy, powerful, silly, thought-provoking, fun, and definitely memorable.
REFLECTION:
The fellowship/internship experience encompasses the majority of my time in SF, but most of it is spent on the computer researching. I’ve a few deadlines approaching, and when something interesting comes to my attention, then I’ll post it up. However, me blogging about my research …I guess I can summarize: this week I’ve been researching white papers on the biological, economical, and policies of sea cucumbers, Chilean conchelopas, and Mexican shrimps. Yes, hopefully I’ll have better stories to reveal about work otherwise I’ll have to wander the city more After work so you stay entertained. Ciao!
