Max length : 86.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26340); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26999); max. published weight: 1,070 g (Ref. 40637)
Environment
Reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 100 m (Ref. 50610)
Climate / Range
Subtropical; 60°N - 36°S, 180°W - 180°E
Cosmopolitan in warm waters. Western Pacific: Japan (Ref. 559) to New Zealand and Norfolk Island (Ref. 8879). Eastern Pacific: San Francisco in California, USA to Chile (Ref. 2850). Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada to Argentina (Ref. 7251). Eastern Atlantic: North Sea to the Canary Islands, including the western Mediterranean. Recorded from Iceland (Ref. 13583) and between Sweden and Denmark (Ref. 28571). Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions
Short description
Dorsalspines
(total): 0;
Dorsalsoft rays
(total): 22 - 26;
Analspines: 0;
Analsoft rays: 22 - 24. Dark brownish grey in color (Ref. 4389). During the course of development, fin is transformed into a suction disc (Ref. 35388). Deeper-bodied than Echeneis naucrates (Ref. 37816).
Usually associated with sharks but also attaches itself to other large fishes, sea turtles and even ships (Ref. 2850, 58302); found in gill chambers, fins and body surface (Ref. 5951). Sometimes free-swimming (Ref. 2850). Younger individual is more active as parasite pickers (Ref. 26938). Feeds on parasitic copepods (Ref. 35388).
