Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Euteleosteomorpha
Subcohors: Neoteleostei
Infracohors: Eurypterygia
Sectio: Ctenosquamata
Subsectio: Acanthomorphata
Divisio/Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Subdivisio: Percomorphaceae
Series: Ophidiaria
Ordo: Ophidiiformes
Familia: Carapidae
Subfamiliae: Pyramodontinae - Carapinae - Tetragondacninae
Name
Carapidae Jordan & Fowler, 1902
References
Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World, fourth edition. John Wiley, Hoboken, 624 pp. ISBN 0-471-25031-7. ISBN 978-0-471-25031-9. Reference page.
Nielsen, J. G., D. M. Cohen, D. F. Markle, and C. R. Robins. 1999. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 18. Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearl-fishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125. [1]
Links
Carapidae – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Vernacular names
polski: karapowate
Pearlfish are marine fish in the ray-finned fish family Carapidae. Pearlfishes inhabit the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans at depths to 2,000 m (6,600 ft), along oceanic shelves and slopes. They are slender, elongated fish with no scales, translucent bodies, and dorsal fin rays which are shorter than their anal fin rays. Adults of most species live symbiotically inside various invertebrate hosts, and some live parasitically inside sea cucumbers. The larvae are free living.
Characteristics
Pearlfishes are slender, distinguished by having dorsal fin rays that are shorter than their anal fin rays. They have translucent, scaleless bodies reminiscent of eels. The largest pearlfish are about 50 cm (20 in) in length. They reproduce by laying oval-shaped eggs, about 1 mm in length.[2]
Ecology
Pearlfish preserved emerging from anus of sea cucumber, Zoology Museum, Cambridge
Pearlfishes are unusual in that the adults of most species live inside various types of invertebrates. They typically live inside clams, sea cucumbers,[3] starfish, or sea squirts, and are simply commensal, not harming their hosts. However, some species are known to be parasitic towards sea cucumbers, eating their gonads and other internal organs.[3] Pearlfish usually live alone, or in pairs.[4]
Regardless of the habits of the adults, the larvae of pearlfish are free-living among the plankton. Pearlfish larvae can be distinguished by the presence of a long filament in front of their dorsal fins, sometimes with various appendages attached.[2]
Genera
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.
References
Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 001–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
Nielsen, Jørgen G. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 133. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
"Pearlfish from a Sea Cucumber | Smithsonian Ocean". ocean.si.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
The fish that lives in a sea cucumber anus, Australian Geographic, 8 August 2014
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Carapidae". FishBase. June 2012 version.
"Carapidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved June 23, 2005.
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