Thick skin covered with bony protuberances; colors vary between grayish-blue, green, or brown. It has a ventral suction disc near the head, which it uses to attach to surfaces.
Rapid growth in aquaculture, reaching functional size as a cleaner fish in less than a year.
Highly resistant to low temperatures and capable of adhering to surfaces, allowing it to remain in marine cages.
Primarily used in aquaculture as a cleaner fish to control sea lice in salmon cages. Its roe is also processed as caviar.
By-products: Roe processed as an economical substitute for caviar.