Echiodon pegasus

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Overview

Family : Pearlfishes; Rare species (Ref. 34024).

Common Names

Description

Family Carapidae

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.The family Carapidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Ophidiiformes. It contains 7 genera and 31 species. It may be found in Marine environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is anguilliform .

Habitat

May be found at depths of 117 to 239 meters.

Biome: Saltwater . Demersal .

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Data last modified by FishBase 10-Feb-2000

Similar Species

Members of the genus Echiodon

There are approximately 13 species in this genus:

E. anchipterus · E. atopus · E. coheni · E. cryomargarites (Messmate) · E. dawsoni (Chain Pearlfish) · E. dentatus (Fierasfer) · E. drummondii · E. exsilium (Nocturnal Pearlfish) · E. neotes · E. pegasus · E. pukaki · E. rendahli · E. rendhali

Bibliography

• Markle, D.F. and J.E. Olney (1990). Systematics of the pearlfishes (Pisces: Carapidae). Bull. Mar. Sci. 47(2):269-410.
• Nielsen, J.G., D.M. Cohen, D.F. Markle and C.R. Robins (1999). Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Vol. 18. Rome, FAO, 178 p. 136 figs.

More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• Amaoka, Kunio (from FishBase).
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 8, 2006.
• FishBase 2006.
• Froese, R., and D. Pauly. FishBase 2004. International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 02, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 18, 2008.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2491917
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Fis-127167
• Fishbase Species ID: 52445
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 82112
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 690449
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 109641

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