Body greatly elongate and fusiform; head depressed. Dorsal spines short, separated and not connected with membranes. Soft portions of dorsal and anal fins elevated anteriorly. Caudal fin truncate in young and emarginate in adult. In young body dark brown with a longitudinal white band running from base of pectoral fin to base of caudal fin; another narrow white band from snout to upper part of base of caudal fin; all fins dark brown. in adult body with no white bands, dark brown dorsally and pale brown ventrally.
Distribution:
Warm and tropical waters in the world. In the western Atlantic from New England, Bermuda to Argentina.
Remarks:
This species superficially resembles echeneidid fishes, but is easily separable from them by having no disk on the head. (Matsuura)