Live sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 1–85 m.
Scientific name: Echeneis naucrates · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 110 cm
The live sharksucker carries a suction pad on top of its head and attaches itself temporarily to sharks, rays, large bony fishes, sea turtles, whales, dolphins and even ships. It will follow divers, and has been reported attaching itself to a divers leg. It is often seen free-swimming in shallow inshore water and around coral reefs. It feeds on small fishes, scraps of its hosts prey and its hosts parasites; juveniles sometimes act as reef cleaning stations, servicing parrotfishes. Fishermen have traditionally tied a line to its tail and let it attach to a larger fish. Commonly about 66 cm and up to 110 cm. A fairly valuable fish.
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