Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Sharksucker Echeneis naucrates
The distinctive feature of the sharksucker is the powerful sucker disk on the top of its head, which enables it to attach itself securely to another fish. It feeds on its host’s scraps and parasites, and also on small fish. Usually found attached to sharks or other large fish, cetaceans, and turtles, the sharksucker also swims freely over coral reefs. Its body is long and thin and ends in a fanlike tail.
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- Order Perciformes
- Length Up to 3 ft (1 m)
- Weight Up to 5 lb (2.5 kg)
- Depth 65–165 ft (20–50 m)
- Distribution Tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide
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