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"From
birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is
bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he
is free." |
Remora Encounter |
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In ancient times, the remora was believed to stop a ship from sailing. In Latin remora means "delay", while the genus name Echeneis comes from Greek echein ("to hold") and naus ("a ship"). Particularly notable is the account of Pliny the Younger, in which the remora is blamed for the defeat of Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium and (indirectly) for the death of Caligula. Because of the shape of the jaws, appearance of the sucker, and coloration of the remora, it sometimes appears to be swimming upside-down. This probably led to the older common name reversus, although this might also derive from the fact that the remora frequently attaches itself to the tops of manta rays or other fish, so that the remora in fact is upside-down while attached This particular example got very friendly whilst on a deco stop after a dive in the Red Sea.
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