Sealife guideThe remora, suckerfish or sharksucker8 species

Taxonomy

Common name: Sharksucker, shark pilot, suckerfish, remora
French name: Rémora
Scientific name: 8 species
Family name: Echeneidae
Order name: Carangiformes
Class name: Actinopterygii

Description

The remora can grow up to nearly 3.3 feet in length, but its most common size is around 16 inches. It can weigh over 2.2 pounds. The remora has a long, slender body with a very distinctive feature running along its entire length and a fan-shaped tail. The remora is typically gray to dark brown in color.

The remora enjoys company, however, it sometimes swims alone near coral reefs !

The remora has an oval-shaped suction cup

The remora has an oval-shaped suction cup. As it grows, its first dorsal fin gradually transforms into a suction cup. It is thanks to this suction cup that the remora most often attaches itself to sharks, but also to large fish, rays, cetaceans, sea turtles, boats, and even divers. However, it sometimes swims alone near coral reefs.

Range

The remora is found in tropical and subtropical waters as well as in temperate waters around the world.

Habitat

The remora is found from the surface down to about 328 feet in depth. The remora visits the same areas as its host with which it travels.

Diet

The remora feeds on leftovers from its host's parasites, small fish, and also on debris.

The remora with a blacktip shark

Several remoras with a manta ray

The remora with a sea turtle

Reproduction

The reproduction of the remora is still poorly understood, but from a very young age, it attaches itself to its host.

Did you know ?

The remora has a lower jaw that is longer than its upper jaw, allowing it to feed without having to move from its spot while attached to its host !

The remora was once used for fishing, securely attached, all one had to do was wait for it to latch onto a fish to reel it in !

Tips for observing

To have the best chance of spotting a remora, you should look for its hosts with which it forms close relationships ! So, focus on observing manta rays, sharks or even sea turtles !

A multitude of remoras with a whale shark

The remora visits the same places as its host with which it travels !

Within the same family

Striped remora
(Echeneis naucrates)

Explore also

Blackstripe cardinalfish
(Ostorhinchus nigrofasciatus)

Lemon damselfish
(Pomacentrus moluccensis)

Redmargin shrimpgoby
(Amblyeleotris rubrimarginata)

Lined rabbitfish
(Siganus lineatus)

Orange banded butterflyfish
(Coradion chrysozonus)

Stoplight parrotfish
(Sparisoma viride)

Hook-nosed sole
(Heteromycteris hartzfeldii)

Star gazer
(Uranoscopus scaber)

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