🦈 Our researcher, Ana Moya, observed this intriguing behavior, known as chafing, during a field trip off Wolf Island.
🦈 Chafing helps remove parasites from parts of their body, like the mouth, fin tips, and ventral area.
Check out this male hammerhead shark showcasing his agility by scratching his claspers (reproductive organs) against a sandbar before swimming back to the group! 🦈
We hypothesize that chafing helps keep male reproductive organs healthy for mating events in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). 🦈