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Family Carapidae - Pearlfishes

Order:

Ophidiiformes

Class:

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

No. of Genera:

No. of Species:

Environment:

Fresh: No Brackish: No Marine: Yes

Aquarium:

none

First Fossil Record:

Ref.:

Remark:

Distribution: tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Dorsal fin rays shorter than opposite anal rays. Anus of adults and origin of anal fin located behind head and usually under pectoral fin, under vertebrae 1 - 13. Translucent eel-like fishes without scales. Wide gill openings, reaching far forward. Vomerine, palatine and jaw teeth present. No opercular spines. Branchiostegal rays 6-7. No supramaxillary. Vertebrae about 85-145. Vexillum present in larvae. Eggs are pelagic, oval, and slightly over 1 mm in the longest dimension (Ref. 240). Pearlfishes are free-living (Echiodon), commensal (Carapus, Onuxodon), or parasitic (Encheliophis, = Jordanicus), living in association with shallow-water invertebrate hosts (holothurians, bivalves, starfishes), largely in coral-dominated communities. Family members occur in shelf and slope waters of 0-2,000 m depth and range from about 65°N to 60°S.

Etymology:

Greek kara ("head") and apous ("without foot", pelvic fin, which is thoracic in position, if present) (P.Adamicka, pers.comm. 08/09).

Division:

Marine

Reproductive guild:

nonguarders

Main Ref.:

Markle, D.F. and J.E. Olney.1990

Coordinator:

Show species | Nominal species list for Carapidae | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

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