FISHES OF NEW YORK 687 



The sharksucker or sucking fish is also known as the remora. 

 It inhabits all warm seas, ranging north to "Cape Cod and San 

 Francisco. De Kay describes this species under the name of 

 the white-tailed remora, and the Indian remora. He figures the 

 species on pi. 54, fig. 177, of his New York Fauna. He says it is 

 not uncommon on the coast of Long Island, and has been several 

 times brought to him by those who took it in ordinary seines. 

 He states that it is called sharksucker. He saw a specimen 

 which had ascended a considerable distance up the Hudson river. 

 He states further that it appears most commonly in July and 

 August. In Mitchill's account of the fishes of New York, an 

 individual measuring 31 inches in length, and weighing 4 pounds 

 10 ounces is mentioned. In Gravesend bay the species is found 

 in summer only attached to sharks, usually the sand shark, 

 Carcharias littoralis. An individual obtained there 

 July 28, 1897, lived and fed till November 13, when it ceased feed- 

 ing, and Nov. 23 it died because of the low temperature of the 

 water. In captivity the fish usually remains stationary on the 

 bottom, with the Jiead and anterior part of the body slightly 

 raised, but will often rise to the surface to take pieces of clam or 

 fish from the hand. 



At Woods Hole Mass., according to Dr Smith, the fish is not 

 uncommon. An example 21 inches long was caught at West Fal- 

 mouth July 16, 1897, on a hook baited with fresh clam. In 

 August 1901 an individual of medium size was caught with a 

 hook on the Cinders, Fire Island, by an angler. This was the 

 only specimen seen during the summer. 



340 Echeneis naucrateoides Zuiew. 

 Pilot Sucker 



Echeneis naucrateoides ZUIEW, Nova Acta Ac. Sci. Imp. Petropol. IV, 279, 

 1789; GOODE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 20, 1879; H. M. SMITH, 

 Bull. U. S. F. C. 1S97, 106, 1898; JORDAN & EYERMAXX, Bull. 47, U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. Ill, 2270, 1898. 



Echeneis 7to?ftrooA-{ GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 382, 1860. 



The form of the body is similar to that of the sharksucker; 

 its depth forms A of the total length. The length of the head 

 is one, fifth of the total. The cephalic disk is very long, nearly 



