Common name of Echeneis naucrates
 
Common name Sharksucker
Language English
Type Vernacular
Official trade name No
Rank 2 - (Preferred common name (unique))
Country Micronesia
Locality
Ref. Smith, A. and P. Dalzell, 1993
Life stage juveniles and adults
Sex females and males
Core behavior
1st modifier other fish
2nd modifier
Remarks 'shark', of obscure origins but appears to have been introduced to English in the late 1560s by members of Sir John Hawkins' expedition (a ballad of 1569 recorded 'There is no proper name for [the fish] that I know, but that certain men of Captain Hawkins' doth call it a shark'), but it is not known where they got it from. A resemblance to Austrian dialect 'schirk', i.e., sturgeon has been noted (p. 471 in Ref. 11979); 'sucker', i.e., an organ in various animals for adhering or holding, a mouth adapted for sucking (Ref. 27888). Also Ref. 37816.
 
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cfm script by eagbayani, 11.10.04 ,  php script by rolavides, 25/03/08 ,  last modified by sortiz, 06/27/17