The Sucking Fish (Echeneis Naucratis)

The plate illustrates the remora, a fish known for its suction disc on the head that allows it to cling to larger marine animals. By showing the fish attached to a turtle, Catesby emphasizes the ecological relationship of hitchhiking parasites and their hosts, a topic of interest to naturalists seeking to document interspecies interactions in the New World.

Catesby employed a combination of intaglio etching and engraving, then applied watercolor by hand to enhance anatomical features and coloration. The printed lines are delicate, with stippled dots that suggest texture on both the fish’s disc and the turtle’s shell. The use of laid paper provides a slightly ribbed surface that accentuates the fine linear work.

The image first appeared in Catesby’s multi‑volume *Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands*, published between 1729 and 1747. The plate was likely produced around 1737, during the period when Catesby was compiling his observations for the series. Today the original sheet is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is accessible for scholarly study.

Catesby’s publication represented the earliest comprehensive illustrated account of North American wildlife, predating many later natural histories. His fieldwork in the American colonies supplied the empirical basis for the plates, which were intended to convey accurate visual information to European audiences unfamiliar with New World species. The remora illustration contributed to the broader scientific effort to classify and understand marine biodiversity.