THE SUCKING FISH. 275 



small size, in proportion to the body of the fish, 

 as well as the tail. The disproportion of the 

 size of the head, and the diminutive size of the 

 fins and tail, must consequently prevent its 

 swimming to any distance, for when swimming 

 its motion is very tardy, and apparently labori- 

 ous. Nature has, therefore, provided it with a 

 means of attaching itself to rocks, the bottoms 

 of ships, &c. 



I have seen them attached more commonly to 

 the body of the Squalus carcharias, or white 

 shark, than to any other species : whether it is 

 that this species of shark is the most usually 

 met with, I cannot determine ; but on a blue 

 shark, although accompanied by pilot-fish, I 

 never, in the few instances I have met with, saw 

 a Remora attached, although, in the other spe- 

 cies, I have always seen some attached : if 

 this, on further observation, is found to be the 

 fact, it may be probably accounted for }jy the 

 Squalus carcharias more frequently approaching 

 the land. The sucking-fish not being able to 

 swim any distance, must generally remain at- 

 tached to rocks, &c., and from them removes 

 itself to the shark as he approaches. 



The sucking-plate enables these fish to change 

 their locality, by attaching themselves to the 

 stronger inhabitants of the deep, and precludes, 



T 2 



