Sharksucker
Echeneis naucrates
Also called Remora.
How to tell it
The suction disc on top of the head is the whole story; brown-white-brown racing stripe along the side.
Often mistaken for
One fish that gets called sharksucker, and what gives it away.
- Cobia: The famous mix-up — same shape and stripe, but no disc. Tell them apart
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
State records
| State | Weight | When, where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9 lb 4.4 oz | 2018 | Outdoor Alabama Saltwater State Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Mississippi | 2 lb 15.2 oz | 2004 | MDMR State Saltwater Records (Conventional) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Texas | 4.5 lb | 2004 · Gulf of America | TPWD State Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
On the table
Surprisingly decent white meat.
In the app
Point the camera at a sharksucker and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about sharksucker
How do you tell sharksucker from cobia?
Sharksucker: The suction disc on top of the head is the whole story; brown-white-brown racing stripe along the side. Cobia: the famous mix-up — same shape and stripe, but no disc.
What is the record sharksucker?
9 lb 4.4 oz in Alabama (2018). Other states’ records are in the table.