Species: Echiodon dawsoni, Chain Pearlfish

Echiodon dawsoni Williams & Shipp, 1982

Chain Pearlfish

Slender, short, cylindrical body, long slender tail; snout overhangs lower jaw; horizontal diameter of eye 18-24% of head length; 2-3 small fleshy flaps at tip of snout above top lip; rear margin of top jaw bone not covered by skin; 1-2 large curved fangs at front of both jaws, those separated by a gap from bands of small, conical rear teeth; roof of mouth with small conical teeth at center and sides; gill opening extends above mid-side; gill rakers – 3 rudiments above & 6 below, 3 developed rakers; dorsal and anal fins low, confluent with tail fin; dorsal origin well behind origin of anal; .anal fin rays longer than dorsal fin rays opposite them; dorsal fin ~119-129, anal rays ~120-124; well developed pectoral fin with 18-20 rays; anus and origin of anal fin well behind base of pectoral fin.

Translucent with a white sheen, with brown pigment around vertebrae forming a chain-like line along body; stomach pale tan; large internal star-shaped blotches of brown pigment over brain, around lower edge of eye, on the snout, lower jaw.

Size: 11.2 cm.

Habitat: may be free living; collected by dredges and trawls on soft bottoms.

Depth: 63-180 m.

Cape Cod to S Brazil.