In coastal and oceanic waters, Brown remoras attach themselves to a variety of fishes such as sharks, marlins and turtles. They mainly feed on the leftovers from their host's meals, as well as any parasitic crustaceans that may be present on their host.
distinctive characters
This species has a dorsal fin with 22-26 rays, an anal fin with 22-24 rays, pectoral rays of 26-30, and a body depth of 7.5 in standard length. Its body is elongated and moderately robust, with a depressed head and a sucking disc that does not extend posteriorly as far as the end of the depressed pectoral fin. The sucking disc has 15-19 laminae, the pectoral fin is short and round, and the caudal fin is emarginate. The scales are minute and indistinct.