Other identification tools | FishBase

Fish Identification: Find Species


Family: Carapidae Pearlfishes



(See list of species below)


Select Class:     Select Order:   
Select Family: Subfamily:     Select Genus:
Select Ocean (marine/brackish) or Continent (freshwater):
                                                          Specify a country:
Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional)

36 species (see list below)

1 of 1 Jump to:

Photo by Wirtz, P.

Eastern Atlantic
Max. Length 20.8 cm TL
Carapus acus (Brünnich, 1768)

Photo by Wirtz, P.
 
Carapus acus
[Pearl fish]

Photo by Flescher, D.

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 20 cm TL
Carapus bermudensis (Jones, 1874)

Photo by Flescher, D.
 
Carapus bermudensis
[Pearlfish]
No picture found
Eastern Pacific
Max. Length 15 cm TL
 
Carapus dubius
[Pacific pearlfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 17 cm TL
Carapus mourlani (Petit, 1934)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Carapus mourlani
[Star pearlfish]
No picture found
Western Central Pacific
Max. Length 10 cm TL
 
Carapus sluiteri
[Sluiter's pearlfish]

Photo by Tibbatts, B.

Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 17.2 cm TL
Echiodon anchipterus Williams, 1984

Photo by Tibbatts, B.
 
Echiodon anchipterus
[Closefin pearlfish]
No picture found
Southeastern Atlantic
Max. Length 17.6 cm SL
 
Echiodon atopus
[]
No picture found
Western Indian Ocean. We
Max. Length 14.3 cm TL
 
Echiodon coheni
[]

Photo by FAO

Widely distributed in the
Max. Length 41 cm TL
Echiodon cryomargarites Markle, Williams & Olney, 1983

Photo by FAO
 
Echiodon cryomargarites
[Messmate]

Photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Western Central Atlantic
Max. Length 11.2 cm TL
Echiodon dawsoni Williams & Shipp, 1982

Photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada
 
Echiodon dawsoni
[Chain pearlfish]

Photo by Lloris, D.

North to Central Eastern
Max. Length 17 cm TL
Echiodon dentatus (Cuvier, 1829)

Photo by Lloris, D.
 
Echiodon dentatus
[]

Photo by Parmentier, E.

Northeast Atlantic
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Echiodon drummondii Thompson, 1837

Photo by Parmentier, E.
 
Echiodon drummondii
[]
No picture found
Eastern Pacific
Max. Length 12.6 cm TL
 
Echiodon exsilium
[Nocturnal pearlfish]
No picture found
Southwest Pacific
Max. Length 23.5 cm TL
 
Echiodon neotes
[]
No picture found
Southwest Pacific
Max. Length 20 cm TL
 
Echiodon pegasus
[]
No picture found
Southwestern Pacific
Max. Length 16.5 cm TL
 
Echiodon prionodon
[]
No picture found
Southwest Pacific
Max. Length 23.2 cm TL
 
Echiodon pukaki
[]
No picture found
Southwest Pacific
Max. Length 12 cm TL
 
Echiodon rendahli
[Messmate fish]

Photo by Rives, C./Parmentier, E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Encheliophis boraborensis (Kaup, 1856)

Photo by Rives, C./Parmentier, E.
 
Encheliophis boraborensis
[Pinhead pearlfish]
No picture found
Eastern Central Pacific
Max. Length 7.2 cm SL
 
Encheliophis chardewalli
[]

Photo by Parmentier, E.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm SL
Encheliophis gracilis (Bleeker, 1856)

Photo by Parmentier, E.
 
Encheliophis gracilis
[Graceful pearlfish]

Photo by Tonozuka, T.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 19 cm TL
Encheliophis homei (Richardson, 1846)

Photo by Tonozuka, T.
 
Encheliophis homei
[Silver pearlfish]
No picture found
Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 20 cm TL
 
Encheliophis sagamianus
[]

Photo by Murdy, E.O./Ferraris, C.J., Jr.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 13 cm TL
Encheliophis vermicularis Müller, 1842

Photo by Murdy, E.O./Ferraris, C.J., Jr.
 
Encheliophis vermicularis
[Worm pearlfish]
No picture found
Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 14 cm TL
 
Encheliophis vermiops
[Pygmy pearlfish]
No picture found
Southern Indian and Pacif
Max. Length 21.5 cm TL
 
Eurypleuron cinereum
[]

Photo by SFSA

Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 23.6 cm TL
Eurypleuron owasianum (Matsubara, 1953)

Photo by SFSA
 
Eurypleuron owasianum
[Eel pearlfish]

Photo by Steene, R.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 10 cm TL
Onuxodon fowleri (Smith, 1955)

Photo by Steene, R.
 
Onuxodon fowleri
[Fowler's pearlfish]
No picture found
Eastern Indian Ocean
Max. Length 10 cm TL
 
Onuxodon margaritiferae
[Bivalve pearlfish]

Photo by SFSA

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 10 cm TL
Onuxodon parvibrachium (Fowler, 1927)

Photo by SFSA
 
Onuxodon parvibrachium
[Oyster pearlfish]

Photo by Parmentier, E.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 36 cm TL
Pyramodon lindas Markle & Olney, 1990

Photo by Parmentier, E.
 
Pyramodon lindas
[Blackedge pearlfish]
No picture found
Southeast Pacific
Max. Length 30.5 cm TL
 
Pyramodon parini
[]

Photo by Parmentier, E.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 29 cm TL
Pyramodon punctatus (Regan, 1914)

Photo by Parmentier, E.
 
Pyramodon punctatus
[Dogtooth pearlfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 18.1 cm TL
Pyramodon ventralis Smith & Radcliffe, 1913

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Pyramodon ventralis
[Pallid pearlfish]

Photo by JAMARC

Circumtropical excluding
Max. Length 26.8 cm TL
Snyderidia canina Gilbert, 1905

Photo by JAMARC
 
Snyderidia canina
[]
No picture found
Western Central Pacific
 
Tetragondacnus spilotus
[]
36 Species of Family Carapidae
(Pearlfishes)
Sort by: Species Length Year
1 of 1 Jump to:
Year Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm)
1768 Carapus acus Pearl fish Eastern Atlantic 20.8 TL
1874 Carapus bermudensis Pearlfish Western Atlantic 20 TL
1874 Carapus dubius Pacific pearlfish Eastern Pacific 15 TL
1934 Carapus mourlani Star pearlfish Indo-Pacific 17 TL
1905 Carapus sluiteri Sluiter's pearlfish Western Central Pacific 10 TL
1984 Echiodon anchipterus Closefin pearlfish Northwest Pacific 17.2 TL
2005 Echiodon atopus Southeastern Atlantic 17.6 SL
1984 Echiodon coheni Western Indian Ocean. We 14.3 TL
1983 Echiodon cryomargarites Messmate Widely distributed in the 41 TL
1982 Echiodon dawsoni Chain pearlfish Western Central Atlantic 11.2 TL
1829 Echiodon dentatus North to Central Eastern 17 TL
1837 Echiodon drummondii Northeast Atlantic 30 TL
1961 Echiodon exsilium Nocturnal pearlfish Eastern Pacific 12.6 TL
1990 Echiodon neotes Southwest Pacific 23.5 TL
1990 Echiodon pegasus Southwest Pacific 20 TL
2012 Echiodon prionodon Southwestern Pacific 16.5 TL
1990 Echiodon pukaki Southwest Pacific 23.2 TL
1941 Echiodon rendahli Messmate fish Southwest Pacific 12 TL
1856 Encheliophis boraborensis Pinhead pearlfish Indo-Pacific 30 TL
2004 Encheliophis chardewalli Eastern Central Pacific 7.2 SL
1856 Encheliophis gracilis Graceful pearlfish Indo-West Pacific 30 SL
1846 Encheliophis homei Silver pearlfish Indo-Pacific 19 TL
1908 Encheliophis sagamianus Northwest Pacific 20 TL
1842 Encheliophis vermicularis Worm pearlfish Indo-Pacific 13 TL
1990 Encheliophis vermiops Pygmy pearlfish Indo-West Pacific 14 TL
1955 Eurypleuron cinereum Southern Indian and Pacif 21.5 TL
1953 Eurypleuron owasianum Eel pearlfish Northwest Pacific 23.6 TL
1955 Onuxodon fowleri Fowler's pearlfish Indo-Pacific 10 TL
1921 Onuxodon margaritiferae Bivalve pearlfish Eastern Indian Ocean 10 TL
1927 Onuxodon parvibrachium Oyster pearlfish Indo-Pacific 10 TL
1990 Pyramodon lindas Blackedge pearlfish Western Pacific 36 TL
1990 Pyramodon parini Southeast Pacific 30.5 TL
1914 Pyramodon punctatus Dogtooth pearlfish Indo-West Pacific 29 TL
1913 Pyramodon ventralis Pallid pearlfish Indo-West Pacific 18.1 TL
1905 Snyderidia canina Circumtropical excluding 26.8 TL
2007 Tetragondacnus spilotus Western Central Pacific



Other identification tools in FishBase


Quick Identification
Identification keys
Identification by morphometrics
Identification by pictures:
          If you already know the Family, go to Search FishBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to Search FishBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to Search FishBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the ecosystem.
cfm script by eagbayani, 30.11.04, ,  php script by cmilitante, 05/11/2010 ,  last modified by cmilitante, 14/03/2013