Egyptian plover to feed on decaying meat lodged between the crocodiles' teeth. The identification of the trochilus with any particular plover is doubtful, as is the cleaning symbiosis itself; no known photographic evidence exists, and the written accounts are considered suspect by the biologist Thomas Howell. Egyptian plover The Egyptian plover ("Pluvianus aegyptius"), also known as the crocodile bird, is a wader, the only member of the genus "Pluvianus". Formerly placed in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae, it is now regarded as the sole member of its own monotypic family Pluvianidae. The species is one of several plovers doubtfully associated with
Symbiotic binary term "symbiotic variable" or "symbiotic variable star" is sometimes also used synonymously, but more commonly is used only for Z Andromedae variable stars. Symbiotic binaries are often divided into two sub-types based on the nature of the continuum in their spectra. "S-type" systems have a stellar continuum since the giant component is not obscured. "D-type" systems are surrounded by optically thick dusty nebulosity and the star itself is not directly visible. D-type systems tend to contain a Mira variable or other long period variable star. Some symbiotic stars have jets which are a collimated outflow of material. These typically are