Species: Phtheirichthys lineatus, Slender Suckerfish, Slender Suckerfish Remora

Phtheirichthys lineatus (Menzies, 1791)

Slender Suckerfish, Slender Suckerfish Remora

Very elongate (depth < 10% of SL); sucking disc on head small, 9-11 plates, reaches ~center of pectoral fin; jaws broad, lower jaw projecting, top jaw not protractile; simple teeth on jaws and center of roof of mouth; operculum without spines; gill rakers 1-3 above, 14-17 below; pectoral pointed, 17-21 rays; base of dorsal and anal fins very long, 2-3x head length; dorsal 32-28 rays; anal 31-38 rays; pectorals high on body, pointed; pelvics under pectoral base, close-set, I, 5; tail with convex to W shaped margin (central rays filamentous in juvenile); scales small, smooth, imbedded.

Upper half blue-black, abruptly white lower half; blue-black above, silver below; a faint dark stripe, bordered above and below by thin pale stripes, along the mid-body; tail black with white upper and lower rear margins.

Size: 56 cm.

Habitat: usually on large fishes or sharks, and turtles.

Depth: 0-100 m?

A circumtropical species, New York to Brazil.