460 FISHES. 



Ocean ; frequenting more the coast-region than the open sea ; 

 attaining to a length of four or five feet. 



Elacate. — Body covered with very small scales ; head de- 

 pressed ; cleft of the mouth moderately wide ; no keel on the 

 tail. The spinous dorsal is formed by eight small free spines ; 

 finlets none. Villiform teeth in the jaws, on the vomer and the 

 palatine bones. 



Elacate nigra, a coast fish common in the warmer parts of 

 the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. 



ECHENEIS. — The spinous dorsal fin is modified into an adhesive 

 disk, occupying the upper side of the head and neck. 



This genus is closely allied to the preceding, from which 

 it differs only by the transformation of the spinous dorsal 

 fin into a sucking organ. The spines being composed of two 

 halves, each half is bent down towards the right and the left, 

 forming a support to a double series of transverse lamellae, 

 rough on their edges, the whole disk being of an oval shape 

 and surrounded by a membranous fringe. Each pair of lamellae 

 is formed out of one spine, which, as usual, is supported at 

 the base by an interneural spine. By means of this disk the 

 " Sucking-fishes " or " Suckers " are enabled to attach them- 

 selves to any flat surface, a series of vacuums being created 

 by the erection of the usually recumbent lamellte. The ad- 

 hesion is so strong that the fish can only be dislodged with diffi- 

 culty, unless it is pushed forward by a sliding motion. The 

 Suckers attach themselves to sharks, turtles, ships, or any 

 other object which serves their purpose. They cannot be 

 regarded as parasites, inasmuch as they obtain their food 

 independently of their host. Being bad swimmers they 

 allow themselves to be carried about by other animals 

 or vessels endowed with a greater power of locomotion. 

 They were as well known to the ancients as they are to 

 the modern navigators. Aristotle and Aelian mention the 

 Sucker under the name of <^9e\p, or the Louse ; " In the sea 



