Naucrates ductor Pilotfish

Naucrates ductor (Linnaeus, 1758)

Distribution
Circumtropical in tropical seas.
Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada to Argentina.
Eastern Atlantic: British Isles (rare vagrant) and Bay of Biscay to Angola, including the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. Eastern Pacific: Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada) to the Galapagos Islands. Common throughout the Indian Ocean.

Biology
Oceanic species with a semi-obligate commensal relationship with sharks, rays, other bony fishes and turtles.
Young are usually associated with jellyfish and drifting seaweed.
Feed on scraps of host's left over, parasites and excrement; also on small fishes and invertebrates.
Eggs are pelagic.
Marketed fresh and salted or dried.
Captured at the surface using hand nets.

Synonymised names
Gasterosteus ductor Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Hemitripteronotus quinquemaculatus Lacepède, 1801 · unaccepted
Hemitripteronotus quinque-maculatus Lacepède, 1801 · unaccepted (synonym)
Nauclerus abreviatus Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Nauclerus annularis Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Nauclerus brachycentrus Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Nauclerus compressus Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Nauclerus leucurus Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Nauclerus triacanthus Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Naucrates angeli Whitley, 1931 · unaccepted
Naucrates cyanophrys Swainson, 1839 · unaccepted
Naucrates fanfarus Rafinesque, 1810 · unaccepted
Naucrates indicus Lesson, 1831 · unaccepted
Naucrates noveboracensis Cuvier, 1832 · unaccepted
Naucrates polysarcus Fowler, 1905 · unaccepted
Naucrates serratus Swainson, 1839 · unaccepted
Scomber ductor · unaccepted
Seriola dussumieri Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Seriola succincta Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted
Seriola succinta Valenciennes, 1833 · unaccepted (misspelling)
Thynnus pompilus Gronow, 1854 · unaccepted