Pilot fish

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(Redirected from Naucrates)

iPilot Fish

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Carangidae
Genus:	Naucrates Rafinesque, 1810
Species:	N. ductor

Binomial name

Naucrates ductor
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The pilot fish (Naucrates ductor) is a carnivorous fish that is a horse mackerel and belongs to the Carangidae family of fishes. It is widely distributed and lives in warm or tropical open seas.

Image:Carcharhinus longimanus 1.jpg

The pilot fish is known for following large vessels and sharks, where it apparently feeds on parasites and leftovers. Their relationship with sharks has been described as nearly symbiotic: it is extremely rare that a shark will feed on a pilot fish, and smaller pilot fish are frequently observed swimming into sharks' mouths to clean away fragments of food from between their teeth. Anecdotal evidence suggests that ancient Greek sailors believed that pilot fish, which would appear around their ships when they were close to land, were leading (or piloting) them back to port, and so they were named. It is sometimes suggested that pilot fish were thought to be piloting larger fish to food as well.

The pilot fish has distinctive black and white markings; this observation has led to similar markings' being used in decals supplied as shark protection for surfboards.

[edit] Trivia

The Shark Tank column of Computerworld magazine uses the term "pilot fish" metaphorically to describe computer consultants and other "techies" swimming with the sharks of corporate IT departments.
In the Doctor Who episode "The Christmas Invasion" the term "pilot fish" is used to describe a lesser alien lifeform who assists a greater alien lifeform in accomplishing a task.
In Ernest Hemingway's memoirs, A Moveable Feast, "pilot fish" refers to the scouts that rich people send out to ski resorts to see if they are safe for skiing.