Natural hook

The pressed fish has the scientific name Echeneis naucrates, often distributed in warm waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean. If they are not attaching themselves to a host, they prefer to swim freely in places near the shore, places with slightly salty water, or around coral reefs.

This fish is easily identifiable due to the suction, disk shape, lying on the flattened head. This suction plate can create a very strong vacuum, used to grip the host. When the fish presses have deliberately clung to something then it is difficult to separate. This fish can grow to a length of nearly 1m, its body is slim, there is a black stripe on each side.

If you look at it, it is very difficult to distinguish between males and females. After fertilized eggs, they will be covered with a hard shell - this shell protects them from spoilage and prevents dehydration. Spherical caviar, floating close to the water surface. The strange thing is that eggs can hatch normally even when pushed by the waves to the shore.

Newly hatched calves are about 4.7-7.5mm long. Young children live freely for about 1 year until they are about 3cm long when they can cling to a host. But for young fish to reach their true age, it takes 3-5 years.

Juvenile fish often attach themselves to underwater animals such as sharks, goldfish, pig foxes, turtles and whales. There may be many fish that coerce to "force themselves" into the same host.

In this birth relationship, the host is not harmed, but the pressed fish is extremely beneficial. Juicing fish not only takes food from the host (including pieces of food but also hosts to fall or leave). In addition, pressed fish also eat more types of crustaceans that cling to the host's skin. However, when convenient, the pressed fish also supplemented their diet with small animals living freely like crustaceans, fish, squid.

When clinging to a host, pressed fish saves body energy because it uses a host as a means of transportation. Because of poor swimming and no bubbles, they must always play the role of "hitchhikers". When pressed into the host, they also took the host to protect the fish from the evil fish.

Squeezed fish also sometimes swim freely, especially when no animal is found to cling.

In the past, people used this fish as a "living hook" to catch some seafood. Fishermen tie the string to the pressed fish and then drop it into the deep sea. Since it always tries to cling to a host animal, when it comes to water it tries to find the right object and clings to it. Just waiting for it, fishermen will drag the pressed fish with its host to shore.

However, juvenile fish are harmful, they can use a very strong suction plate attached to the bottom of a vessel that can cause boat damage and can even sink a boat if they cause too many holes large enough. They can also cling to people swimming, causing pain. The ancient Greeks did not like this fish. They believed that the fish had a mysterious magic that could slow down the boat or even make their boat stop.

When caught and put into a pond for fish, the fish are often in love at the bottom of the water. But when there is bait, they will boldly swim to the surface to eat the pieces of meat, or fish from the hands of the handler.