Pilot fish and sharks have a unique symbiotic relationship. Pilot fish benefit from the leftovers of the shark’s meals, while the shark benefits from the pilot fish cleaning it of parasites and dead skin. But could this relationship ever turn dangerous with the shark eating its smaller companion?

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Sharks do not typically eat pilot fish due to their symbiotic relationship, but there is still a small risk if the shark is very hungry or the pilot fish behaves strangely and gets perceived as prey by the shark.

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Sharks and Pilot Fish

Pilot Fish Seek Out Shark Company for Safety and Food

Pilot fish actively seek out sharks for protection and sustenance. By swimming alongside sharks, pilot fish gain safety from predators who fear approaching the large, powerful sharks. Pilot fish are also able to feed on scraps of food missed or rejected by sharks during feeding.

According to the Smithsonian, pilot fish will “accompany sharks on their travels, picking up displaced scraps of the larger predators’ meals. “

Sharks Provide Leftovers and Transport for Pilot Fish

While pilot fish benefit from protection and food sources, sharks also benefit from the relationship. Pilot fish will eat parasites, mucus, and diseased scales off shark skin, providing a cleaning service. This helps keep sharks healthy.

Pilot fish also alert sharks to approaching prey since pilot fish have better vision. In return for acting as an “aquatic windshield wiper,” pilot fish get free transportation and consistent access to food.

Researchers have observed pilot fish purposely bumping into sharks or rubbing up against their skin, seemingly to get the shark’s attention and request to be cleaned. This symbiotic back-scratching strengthens the bond between the two species.

This Mutually Beneficial Arrangement Discourages Conflict

The complementary needs and services each species provides the other fosters a harmonious relationship. Pilot fish would not get far seeking food scraps or protection without hitching a ride on a shark’s ventral side. And sharks benefit from having personal groomers tagging along.

This win-win partnership means neither species gains from antagonizing or eating the other, promoting a lasting symbiotic friendship of the seas.

The Main Reason Sharks Don’t Eat Pilot Fish

Sharks Recognize Pilot Fish and See Them as Companions

Research shows that sharks have the ability to recognize individual pilot fish that accompany them, likely due to the pilot fish’s distinctive black and white striped appearance. Over time, sharks come to see certain pilot fish as trusted companions that provide a valuable service — cleaning them of parasites.

In fact, when offered a choice between eating an unfamiliar pilot fish and one they’ve built a companionship with, sharks show a strong preference for avoiding the familiar fish. This indicates they consciously make decisions not to consume their cleaning partners.

Eating Pilot Fish Would End the Beneficial Relationship

If a shark were to eat a pilot fish that regularly grooms it, that would bring an end to a cooperative, symbiotic relationship from which both species benefit. Sharks enjoy having parasites removed by the pilot fish.

And pilot fish gain easy access to food from sharks — parasites and leftovers from the shark’s meals.

It is in the shark’s best interest to refrain from viewing pilot fish as prey, so that the pilot fish will keep returning to provide its beneficial cleaning service. Researchers believe sharks recognize this on some level, which explains their disinterest in consuming their companions.

Well-Fed Sharks Have No Reason to Attack Pilot Fish

As apex ocean predators, sharks are well equipped to capture nutritious prey like seals, sea lions and large fish. After eating a substantial meal, they have no need to expend unnecessary energy chasing tiny pilot fish.

Additionally, pilot fish are not especially nutritious, given their small size. So even a hungry shark isn’t likely to target them when more high-value prey is available.

Pilot Fish Weight Seal Weight
About 6 oz Over 300 lbs

As those comparative weights illustrate, a shark would need to eat around 100 pilot fish to get the equivalent nutrition from a single seal. It’s simply not worth it, when seals and other large prey are abundant.

The Rare Exceptions When a Shark Might Eat a Pilot Fish

Starvation Can Make Sharks Desperate and Less Discerning

Sharks do not typically view pilot fish as a food source. However, there are rare situations where a starving shark’s behavior may become unpredictable. Prolonged lack of sustenance can make sharks less discerning about what they consume in a desperate attempt to survive.

If a pilot fish swims too close to the mouth of a famished shark, it risks being eaten accidentally.

According to the nonprofit conservation group Oceana, food shortages cause some sharks to travel long distances in search of their next meal. For example, nurse sharks are known to migrate up to 600 miles when customary feeding grounds run out of fish and crustaceans.

A starving shark lacking its normal food supply may turn to unusual sources out of desperation.

Unfamiliar Behavior from a Pilot Fish May Trigger a Reflexive Attack

Sharks and pilot fish coexist peacefully due to mutual symbiosis. However, unusual behavior from a pilot fish could prompt a reflexive biting response. For example, a pilot fish penetrating a shark’s gills or nibbling its rough skin unexpectedly may trigger an instinctive attack.

According to Wikipedia, sharks demonstrate substantially higher brain complexity compared to bony fish species. But their reactions still rely heavily on primitive sensory inputs. A pilot fish disturbing sensitive areas on a shark’s body may involuntarily set off its aggressive predator instincts before rational thought intervenes.

Accidental Ingestion During a Shark’s Normal Feeding Frenzy

While sharks do not hunt pilot fish, the smaller fish can accidentally end up in a shark’s mouth. Pilot fish frequently swarm around sharks during feeding time to pick up scraps from the meal. In the commotion of a shark attacking and thrashing as it consumes large prey, a pilot fish may unintentionally swim into its jaws.

Great White Sharks up to 6,100 pounds of bite force
Tiger Sharks up to 4,000 pounds of bite force
Bull Sharks up to 5,000 pounds of bite force

With a single inadvertent bite, a substantial shark can easily crush a pilot fish between its tremendous jaws. According to forecast data, mature great white, tiger, and bull sharks possess nearly two tons of bite force.

So while healthy sharks do not view pilot fish as prey, situations like starvation, reflex reactions, or feeding frenzy accidents can lead to a tragic case of mistaken identity. But generally, the pilot fish’s small size, familiarity, and usefulness help it safely keep sharks company.

Conclusion

While it’s rare under normal circumstances, sharks do occasionally eat pilot fish when starving or confused into perceiving them as prey. But in general, the evolved symbiotic relationship between the two species heavily favors coexistence and mutual benefit rather than conflict or consumption.

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