Ryan Photographic - Echeneidae - Remoras

Echeneidae - Remoras

Remoras are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are renowned for attaching to larger marine creatures by virtue of the sucking disk on the top of their head. They can increase suction by sliding backwards and reduce it by swimming forwards. The name remora stems from the Greek for "delay" - in earlier times remora were considered to slow down boats. Remoras appear to be in a commensal relationship with their hosts. They get a free ride but they also eat skin secretions and may remove parasites. It seems more likely however that they just eat their host's feces - so not so pleasant creatures after all.

In many oceanic cultures remoras were used to catch turtles by attaching a line to the tail and releasing the fish which then attaches to the turtle which cn be hauled back to the boat.

According to Fishbase there are 8 species in three genera.

Remora remora Remora or sharksucker

Fishes

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