Pearlfish

:"Pearlfish" is also used for some Rivulidae, unrelated American freshwater killifish."Taxobox
name = Pearlfish


image_caption = "Echiodon rendahli "
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Ophidiiformes
familia = Carapidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Carapus"
"Echiodon"
"Eurypleuron"
"Encheliophis"
"Onuxodon"
"Pyramodon"
"Snyderidia"
For species see text

Pearlfish is a general name for a variety of marine fish species in the Carapidae family. Pearlfish have been found in tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans at depths up to 2 km (1.25 mi) along oceanic shelves and slopes. They are distinguished by having dorsal fin rays that are shorter than their anal fin rays. They have translucent, scaleless bodies reminiscent of eels. Pearlfish reproduce by laying eggs that are oval shaped, about 1 mm (1/32 inch) in length.

Pearlfish are currently divided into 7 genera and 31 species. The genera are divided into three major groupings based on their level of symbiosis:
*Echiodon and Snyderidia - Free-living
*Carapus and Onuxodon - Commensal
*Encheliophis - Parasitic: Fish in this group live in invertebrate hosts found in shallow-water coral communities such as bivalves, sea cucumbers, and starfish.

Species

* Genus "Carapus"
** "Carapus acus"
** "Carapus bermudensis"
** "Carapus boraborensis"
** "Carapus dubius"
** "Carapus mourlani"
** "Carapus sluiteri"
* Genus "Echiodon"
** "Echiodon anchipterus"
** "Echiodon atopus"
** "Echiodon coheni"
** "Echiodon cryomargarites"
** "Echiodon dawsoni"
** "Echiodon dentatus"
** "Echiodon drummondii"
** "Echiodon exsilium"
** "Echiodon neotes"
** "Echiodon pegasus"
** "Echiodon pukaki"
** "Echiodon rendahli" (Whitley, 1941)
* Genus "Encheliophis"
** "Encheliophis chardewalli"
** "Encheliophis gracilis"
** "Encheliophis homei"
** "Encheliophis sagamianus"
** "Encheliophis vermicularis"
** "Encheliophis vermiops"
* Genus "Eurypleuron"
** "Eurypleuron cinereum"
** "Eurypleuron owasianum"
* Genus "Onuxodon"
** "Onuxodon fowleri"
** "Onuxodon margaritiferae"
** "Onuxodon parvibrachium"
* Genus "Pyramodon"
** "Pyramodon lindas"
** "Pyramodon parini"
** "Pyramodon punctatus"
** "Pyramodon ventralis" Smith & Radcliffe, 1913
* Genus "Snyderidia"
** "Snyderidia canina"

References

*FishBase_family|family= Carapidae|year= 2006|month= January
*ITIS|ID=165094|taxon=Carapidae|year=2005|date=June 23