FishFreshwaterExpert
©AI Generated·Proprietary
Sharksucker (Remora)
Echeneis naucrates
The Desperate Hitchhiker (40 inches / 100 cm). Should NEVER be sold in the hobby. It has a powerful suction cup on its head used to stick to wild sharks.
Water Temperature
22 - 28 °C
pH Value
8.1 - 8.4
Water type
Freshwater
Tank level
Middle
Adult size
100 cm
Minimum tank volume
>= 500 L
Minimum group
>= 1
GH
8 - 12 dGH
KH
4 - 6 dKH
TDS
160 - 240 ppm
Conductivity
250 - 375 uS/cm
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Circumglobal MARINE species present in almost all temperate and tropical oceans. Inhabits both coastal coral reefs and open oceanic waters (pelagic), almost always in association with marine megafauna.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Live Sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates). The most common remora. Features an incredibly hydrodynamic and elongated body. Its iconic characteristic is the first dorsal fin modified into a large oval sucker disk on the head, equipped with transverse lamellae.
Social Behavior: Commensal symbiont. Spends its life attaching itself via the cranial disk to sharks, rays, turtles, or boats. In the absence of a host in the tank, it swims tirelessly looking for a hold (often the glass or filter pipes).
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Longitudinal striped livery: dark gray/black on the back, a marked lateral black band bordered with pure white crossing the eye, and a white belly. Dark fins with white margins. Sexually monomorphic.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Aquarium Setup: Requires immense aquariums or public tanks (minimum 3000-5000 liters / 800-1300 gallons) as it reaches one meter (39 inches) in length. The aquarium must have huge open spaces for free swimming and total absence of sharp obstacles.
Diet and Feeding: Opportunistic carnivore. In nature, it feeds on the leftovers of the host shark's meals and skin parasites. In the aquarium, it is a voracious and undemanding eater: devours squid, shrimp, pieces of fish, and krill without any difficulty.
Water Quality: Tolerant of slight variations, but requires excellent filtration to manage the organic load. Standard marine water (Salinity 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4). Strong oxygenation is vital.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Not an aggressive fish, but will attach its sucker to any fish large enough (e.g. large Groupers or benthic sharks), causing them very strong chronic stress and skin abrasions. Totally unsuitable for standard home keeping.
Aquarium Breeding: No information on captive reproduction. They are pelagic spawners in the open sea.
Risks and Diseases: Stress caused by the lack of a large host to attach to leads them to swim compulsively against the glass, causing rostral trauma. Capture at sea with fishing lines often leaves severe damage to the mouth.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Circumglobal MARINE species present in almost all temperate and tropical oceans. Inhabits both coastal coral reefs and open oceanic waters (pelagic), almost always in association with marine megafauna.
Origin
Cosmopolitan or introducedTropical oceans and reefs
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- While not inherently aggressive in a predatory sense toward large fish, their physical attachment behavior is highly disruptive. They can cause lesions, stress, and secondary infections on the hosts they clamp onto. Smaller fish will simply be viewed as a food source and eaten quickly. They require a very specific, carefully planned community of robust, similarly sized predators.
- Diet
- Omnivore
- As a highly opportunistic carnivore, the Echeneis naucrates requires a robust diet of meaty marine foods. They should be offered chopped fish, squid, clams, and large shrimp. In the wild, they scavenge scraps from their host's meals and hunt small fish. Providing a varied, nutrient-rich diet is essential to support their rapid growth and high metabolism.
- Life expectancy
- 10-15 years
- This large remora can live over 10 to 15 years under optimal conditions inside large public aquariums. The stability of the filtration system and an immense space for swimming are critical factors to support its physical growth. Providing a proper diet helps prevent vitamin deficiencies over time.
- Adult size
- 100 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 100 cm. The FishBase SPECIES table (v25.04 snapshot) source reports a maximum adult measurement of 110 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). The taxonomic record consulted is Echeneis naucrates (v25.04); male or unsexed record. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
- Sex ratio
- Solitary
- There are no distinct, easily observable sexual dimorphisms between males and females of this species. Because they are typically kept singly in captivity due to their immense size, sex ratios are rarely a concern. In the wild, they may gather in larger numbers around a massive host. For aquarium purposes, an individual is usually kept without regard to its specific sex.
- Feeding frequency
- Twice daily
- These fast-growing predators have voracious appetites and should be fed daily. Young specimens may even benefit from multiple feedings per day to sustain their growth rate. As they mature, a single large daily meal is usually sufficient to maintain their health. Care must be taken not to overfeed, as uneaten food will quickly degrade water quality.
- Bioload
- Extreme
- The Echeneis naucrates grows to a very large size and inherently produces a massive bioload. They eat substantial amounts of food, which directly translates to significant waste output. A heavy-duty filtration system equipped with large protein skimmers is an absolute necessity. Frequent, large-scale water changes are mandatory to keep nutrient levels in check.
- Flow
- Stagnant
- Given their pelagic nature and association with fast-swimming hosts, they prefer very strong water flow. A powerful current helps them oxygenate properly and simulates their natural, dynamic environment. Stagnant water can lead to lethargy and long-term health complications. High-turnover return pumps and strong wavemakers are highly recommended.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Reproduction of this species in a home aquarium setting is virtually unheard of. They are pelagic spawners, releasing their eggs and sperm directly into the open ocean currents. The resulting larvae undergo a complex planktonic phase before settling. The sheer spatial requirements for their spawning rituals make captive breeding impossible for hobbyists.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- This species is uniquely adapted to attach itself to larger hosts like sharks or rays. In a home aquarium, they will attempt to attach to any large, flat-sided fish, which can cause severe stress to the host. They will also readily consume any fish or invertebrate small enough to fit in their mouths. They are only suitable for massive public aquariums or extremely large specialized predator systems.
- Tank level
- Middle
- They are incredibly active fish that will utilize every level of the aquarium water column. When not attached to the glass or a large tank mate via their modified dorsal fin, they cruise constantly. You will see them swimming near the surface, navigating the middle, and sweeping across the bottom. Their dynamic swimming patterns require a vast amount of open space.
Scientific Parameters & Models
FishBase
Window to the official scientific data of the species
Data synced on: 06/15/2026
- Trophic level
- 3.7 ± 0.3 se
- Resilience
- Medium (1.4 - 4.4 years)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.7539
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.00257, b = 3.17
- VulnerabilityHigh to very high vulnerability (66 / 100)
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
