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The sucking disc begins to show when the young fish are about 1 cm (0.4 in) long. When the remora reaches about 3 cm (1.2 in), the disc is fully formed and the remora can then attach to other animals. The remora's lower jaw projects beyond the upper, and the animal lacks a swim bladder. [9] Some remoras associate with specific host species.
The common remora (Remora remora) is a pelagic marine fish [3] belonging to the family Echeneidae.The dorsal fin, which has 22 to 26 soft rays, acts as a suction cup, creating a vacuum [4] to allow the fish to attach to larger marine animals, such as whales, dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles.
The dorsal surface of the fish is dark brown to black, as is a broad longitudinal lateral stripe which extends from the eye through the pectoral fin to the caudal peduncle. The other parts of the fish are silvery-grey. The dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins are dark with whitish margins, particularly at the front of the fins. [3] [4]
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When attached to a host, the remora eats parasitic crustaceans, food scraps from its host's feeding activity, and even some small food captured by filtering water through its villiform teeth. [ 11 ] Without a host, the fish stays close to the shore and can aggregate with other individuals; its diet is then composed of free-living crustaceans ...
The name derives from misconstruing the seven gill pores behind each eye as additional eyes, and doing the same with the nostril on the top of the head (even though there is only one of those, not one per side). [citation needed] Likewise, in the German language, the word for lamprey is Neunauge, which means "nine-eye". [115]
Ommatokoita elongata is a 30 mm (1.2 in) long pinkish-white parasitic copepod, frequently found permanently attached to the corneas of the Greenland shark and Pacific sleeper shark. [3] [4] [5] The parasites cause severe visual impairment, but it is thought that the sharks do not rely on keen eyesight for their survival. [4]
Most batoids have a flat, mantle-like body, with the exception of the guitarfishes and sawfishes, while most sharks have a spindle-shaped body. Many species of batoid have developed their pectoral fins into broad flat wing-like appendages. The anal fin is absent. The eyes and spiracles are located on top of the head.