S06 MEDITERRANEAN REMORA. 



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The real fact is, that the Remora, being a fish 

 of very weak powers of fin, takes the advantage 

 of occasionally attaching itself to any large swim- 

 ming body, whether animate or inanimate, which 

 it happens to encounter; adhering to ships, as 

 well as whales, sharks, and many other of the 

 larger fishes : it has even been observed by Com- 

 merson, that the Remora is so ill calculated for 

 supporting a long and laborious course in the 

 water, that when left to its own exertions, it 

 generally swims on its back, and that in an un- 

 steady and feeble manner. It is therefore ne- 

 cessary that it should avail itself of the occasional 

 assistance of some larger floating body. For this 

 purpose the upper part of the head is wonderfully 

 constituted; presenting a large, flat, oval shield 

 x>r area, traversed by numerous dissepiments or 

 partitions, each of which is fringed at the edge 

 by a row of very numerous perpendicular teeth 

 or filaments, while the whole area or oval space 

 is strengthened by a longitudinal division or sep- 

 tum. So strong is the power of adhesion which 

 the fish by this apparatus is enabled to exert, 

 that we are assured by Commerson, whose ob- 

 servations on this subject are detailed by Cepede, 

 that, on applying his thumb to the shield of a 

 living Remora, it was affected not only with a 

 strong stupor, but even with a kind of paralysis, 

 which continued for a considerable time after 

 withdrawing his hand. When attached, as is fre- 

 quently the case, to the skin of a shark or other 

 large fish, it quits not its hold when the former 



