Remora albescens
Remora albescens (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850)
White suckerfish
Remora albescens
photo by Walter, T.

Family:  Echeneidae (Remoras)
Max. size:  30 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-oceanic; marine; depth range - 200 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Worldwide in warm seas. Western Indian Ocean: including Reunion and Mauritius (Ref. 33390). Eastern Pacific: off San Francisco in California, USA to Chile, but rare north of Baja California in Mexico. Western Atlantic: Florida in USA and Gulf of Mexico to Brazil (Ref. 7251). Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks (Ref. 13121).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-22; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 21-26. Pale grey to white in color.
Biology:  Host specific on manta rays, but occasionally attaches to sharks. Often occurs inside gill chamber and mouth of host. Also attaches itself to black marlin, Makaira indica, of the Indo-Pacific Region (Ref. 7251). Rarely free-swimming (Ref. 10791). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 July 2010 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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