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XXI. FAMILY OF THE REMORA 

 SUCKERS. ECHENEID^. 



Representative in British Fauna. Sp. I. 



Gen. 89. Echeneis. Sp. 191. F. remora. Sucking-fish. 



The few fishes which compose this singular fa- 

 mily, are properly natives of more southern seas than 

 those which wash our shores. Only one appears 

 to inhabit Europe, and that is the species of which 

 we have now to give some account, namely, the 

 famous Remora of the Mediterranean, of which the 

 Roman writers give such extraordinary accounts. 



Gen. LXXXIX. Echeneis. — In the fishes last 

 noticed the adhesive disc occupies the under side of 

 the anterior part of the body ; here it is placed on 

 the crown of the head, in the form of a large oval 

 shield composed of numerous transverse cartilaginous 

 plates, surrounded by a muscular margin. The 

 body is elongated, and covered with such small scales 

 that it has frequently been described as destitute of 

 scales altogether ; the mouth wide and densely be- 

 set with teeth ; a single dorsal fin opposite the anal ; 

 tail lunate. 



(Sp. 191.) E. remora. Common Sucking-fish. 

 This species cannot be regarded as a habitual inha- 

 bitant of our seas, but only as a very rare visitor, 

 and that probably as the result of mere accident^ 



