Phtheirichthys lineatus
Slender Suckerfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Echeneidae (Remoras)
Phtheirichthys
Phtheirichthys lineatus (Slender Suckerfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Very elongate, with acutely pointed (lanceolate) pectoral fin, small cephalic disc, and narrow-based pelvic fin. Mouth extends about three-fourths of the distance from tip of snout to anterior margin of eye. Teeth in upper jaw are sharp pointed, recurved, and arranged in a band. Teeth in lower jaw are sharp pointed and recurved and are exposed when mouth is closed. Vomer and palatine have broad bands of teeth, and tongue has small granular teeth. Gill rakers on first arch number 11 to 13 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 15%–21%, snout length 6%–8%, eye diameter about 3%, upper jaw length 5%–7%, pectoral fin length 10%–12%, disc length 15%–28%, pelvic fin length 10%–12%, body depth 6%–7%. Pectoral fin has an acute tip and 18 to 21 rays. Cephalic disc has 9 to 11 lamellae. Second dorsal fin has 29 to 33 rays. Anal fin has 29 to 34 rays. Caudal fin has convex margin. Vertebrae number 40.
Color is dark brown to blackish dorsally and white ventrally, with a faint dark stripe on midflank bordered by narrow light stripes in large specimens. Margins of dorsal and anal fins are dark, and upper and lower margins of caudal fin are light.
Distribution
In the western Atlantic it occurs from South Carolina and Bermuda to northern South America, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Tropical to subtropical seas. Attaches to bodies or enters gill cavities of large fishes. Occasionally free swimming.
Hosts include Sphyraena barracuda and sea turtles.
Biology
Maximum known size is 435 mm SL.
Rare (Ref. 4389), oceanic species. Most often found attached to barracudas but also to other fishes and sea turtles. Clings to body of host and also found inside gill chambers.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders; parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-08-23. Resilience: Medium (Assuming Fec < 10,000).
References
Cressey and Lachner 1970
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Lachner 1986
Heemstra 1986k
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Collette 2002c
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann (1983) A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p.
Heemstra, P.C. (1986) Echeneidae. p. 662-664. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Mundy, B.C. (2005) Checklist of the fishes of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Bishop Mus. Bull. Zool. (6):1-704.
Fricke, R., M. Kulbicki and L. Wantiez (2011) Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 4:341-463.
Comments On Phtheirichthys lineatus