sharksucker

9.8

A fish that uses a suction disc on its head to attach to sharks or other large fish

noun
/ˈʃɑrkˌsʌkər/

: remora

Divers observed a sharksucker hitching a ride on a passing hammerhead.

Examples

The sharksucker clung tightly to the shark's back.
The sharksucker clung tightly to the underside of the giant shark as it swam.
Sharksuckers use their suction discs to attach themselves to various large marine animals.
Many sharksuckers can be found in tropical waters.
The sharksucker clung to the side of the shark as they swam through the ocean.
Marine biologists study the behavior of the sharksucker when it attaches to larger fish.
The sharksucker helps keep its host fish clean by removing parasites from their skin.

Synonyms

remora

vssharksucker

3 9.3

A small sea fish with a suction cup on its head that sticks to larger animals like sharks

is specialized to attach mainly to sharks and other large fish

suckerfish

vssharksucker

Specialized

1 7.9

A sea fish that uses a flat mouth to hold onto larger animals or objects

is more specialized to attach to sharks and other large fish than to objects

Echeneis

vssharksucker

Specialized

9.9

A fish with a suction disc on its head that attaches to larger sea animals

is the common fish type rather than the broader genus name

Echeneis naucrates

vssharksucker

Specialized

9.9

A small fish that sticks to sharks and other large sea animals

is the general fish type rather than a single species

Surface Forms

sharksucker singular

sharksuckers plural

Morphology

sharksucker = shark + sucker (transparent) = shark + sucker

The compound directly denotes a 'sucker' associated with or found on sharks, so knowing 'shark' and 'sucker' allows inference of meaning.

Etymology

Sharksucker comes from the simple English parts shark and sucker. It names a fish that uses a sucker on its head to 'stick' to a shark and 'ride' on it, so the word is a direct, easy picture of what the animal does.