]26 REMORA, OR SUCKING-FISH. 



Echineis, natives of the Mediterranean, Atlantic, 

 and Indian oceans. It is a small fish, seldom 

 exceeding a foot in length, and either of a uni- 

 formly brown colour, or black above and white 

 below. Its characteristic mark is a large oval and 

 flattened membranous disc, which has several trans- 

 verse serrated bands forming cavities, in which 

 are cartilaginous plates situated at the top of the 

 head. It is by means of the retraction of these 

 cartilages, by proper muscles adapted for the pur- 

 pose, that the animal forms a series of vacua, and 

 thus exerts the singular adhesive power by which it 

 is distinguished — so singular, that it was classed by 

 the ancients among the occult qualities of Nature, 

 since they idly imagined that this little creature had 

 force enough, by adhering to the keel of a ship, to 

 stop her progress when under full sail. A marvel- 

 lous account is given of its operations in this way 

 by the credulous Pliny, from whom the following 

 is an extract, as translated by Holland : — " The 

 current of the sea is great, the tide much, the 

 winds vehement and forcible, and, more than that, 

 ores and sailers withall to help forward the rest, are 

 mightie and powerfull : and yet there is one little 

 sillie fish, named Echeneis, that checketh, scometh, 

 and arresteth them all : let the winds blow as much 

 as they will, rage the storms and tempests what 

 they can, yet this little fish commandeth their fiirie, 

 restraineth their puissance, and maugre all their 

 force as great as it is, compelleth ships to stand 

 still : a thing which no cables be they never so big 



