Pilot fish facts for kids
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The pilot fish (scientific name: Naucrates ductor) is a cool fish that belongs to the jackfish family, called Carangidae. It lives in warm or tropical open seas all around the world. This fish is a carnivore, meaning it eats other animals.
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About the Pilot Fish
Pilot fish are famous for swimming close to larger ocean animals. They often gather around sharks, rays, and sea turtles. Here, they act like helpful cleaners. They eat tiny bugs (called ectoparasites) that live on the bigger animals. They also munch on any leftover food scraps that float around their hosts.
Younger pilot fish usually hang out with jellyfish or floating seaweed. They are also known to follow ships, sometimes for very long distances. For example, one was found all the way in County Cork, Ireland. Many have also been seen near the shores of England. Because they liked to follow ships, people long ago thought these fish could guide a ship to its destination.
What Pilot Fish Look Like
Pilot fish have a unique look. Their bodies are usually dark blue to blackish-silver. Their bellies are a lighter color. When they get excited, their color can change! Their dark stripes might disappear, and their body can turn silvery-white. Then, three wide blue patches appear on their back.
You can easily spot a pilot fish by its five to seven dark stripes across its body. These stripes are much darker than the rest of its skin. Pilot fish can grow to be about 60 to 70 centimeters long. That's almost as long as a baseball bat!
Pilot Fish and Sharks
Pilot fish are often seen with all kinds of sharks. However, they especially like to swim with the oceanic whitetip shark, which is known as Carcharhinus longimanus. The relationship between pilot fish and sharks is a special one. It's called mutualism. This means both animals help each other.
The pilot fish gets protection from other predators by staying close to the big shark. In return, the shark gets cleaned! The pilot fish eats parasites off the shark's skin. Sailors used to say that sharks and pilot fish had a "close friendship." There were even stories of pilot fish following ships that had caught "their" shark. They would follow for weeks and seem sad when the shark was gone.
It is very rare for a shark to eat a pilot fish. In fact, smaller pilot fish are often seen swimming right into a shark's mouth! They do this to clean tiny bits of food from between the shark's teeth.
Why They Are Called Pilot Fish
There are a few ideas about how the pilot fish got its name. One idea is that sailors believed these fish were guiding them. When ships were close to land, pilot fish would appear near the front of the ship. Sailors thought the fish were leading them back to port.
Another idea is that people mistakenly thought pilot fish were guiding sharks to food. Some old legends even said they piloted ships, whales, and swimmers to safety.
Sometimes, the pilot fish is used as a metaphor or simile. For example, someone might say, "They are like the pilot fish to the shark, serving to lead him to his victim." This means someone is helping a bigger, more dangerous person find their target. Pilot fish can also be used as a metaphor for people who follow a bigger threat to scavenge or loot.
Pilot Fish in Myths
In ancient Greek mythology, there's a story about a sailor named Pompilus. He helped a nymph named Ocyrhoe escape from the god Apollo. Pompilus took the nymph from one city, Miletus, to another, Samos. Apollo was angry and punished Pompilus by turning him into a pilot fish.
Another ancient writer, Pancrates of Arcadia, said that the pilot fish was a sacred fish. It was honored by the sea god Poseidon. Because of this, it was forbidden to eat pilot fish. The story goes that a fisherman named Epopeus ignored this rule and ate one. He paid for his boldness with his life.
See also
In Spanish: Pez piloto para niños
