Photo of the Week

We are excited to bring back our Photo of the Week section so stay tuned for new content coming soon! In the meantime, take a look at these fantastic pictures from our teachers.

Hello there, Hitchhiker

February 3, 2020
The remora’s modified dorsal fin provides suction ability, allowing it to attach to other fish.

Photo: Karen Grady

Sometimes when a shark or fish is brought on board it has a “hitchhiker’ attached. We caught a blacknose shark that had a common remora, often referred to as a sucker fish, or shark sucker, attached to it... You can see from the photo how he is designed to attach to host species. Their head is actually a modified dorsal fin that has an oval shaped sucking disk with slat-like structures that open and close to create suction and take a firm hold against the skin of its host animal such as a shark, turtle, whale, or ray.
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16 photos for shark · Clear

Shark Week at NOAA Fisheries Measures UpJuly 12, 2021A Cradle for Sharks?August 17, 2020Hello there, HitchhikerFebruary 3, 2020It’s Shark Week!July 29, 2019Friday is Endangered Species DayMay 13, 2019Eye See YouOctober 2, 2017All Hands on Shark? Not quite, but Ultrasounding a Bull Shark Definitely Requires TeamworkMay 1, 2017Not all sharks are “apex predators” – that is, predators at the top of a food chain. Smaller sharks are always at risk of becoming prey.October 17, 2016High Flyer, Overboard: To set the longline, scientists start by releasing a buoy marked with a flag.October 3, 2016This shark has been tied off to the boat so scientists can collect biological data and tag the shark.July 27, 20152013 Teacher at Sea Adam Renick examines a cookie cutter shark that was captured off the Kona coast.February 16, 2015“Scientist Andre Debose and volunteer Sarah Larsen work up a blacktip shark.”September 22, 2014
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