Species: Encheliophis vermicularis, Finless pearlfish, Worm pearlfish
no canines front either jaws
Encheliophis vermicularis Müller, 1842
Finless pearlfish, Worm pearlfish
Slender, short body, long slender tail; top margin of top jaw bone covered by skin, bound to side of head; no large canines at front of top and bottom jaws; upper jaw with row of strong curved teeth outside inner row of conical teeth; lower jaw with single row of conical teeth; no fleshy flap at snout tip; gill opening restricted to lower side, gill membranes united below; no developed gill rakers; dorsal and anal fins low, confluent with tail fin; dorsal origin well behind origin of anal; pectoral fins absent; no pelvic fins; anus and anal fin origin just behind operculum.
Dusky pink, shading to blackish purple grey on tail; lower body silver; iris grey-green.
Size: 15 cm.
Habitat: lives in the guts of Sea cucumbers, including Isostichopus fuscus.
Depth: 0-30 m?
An Indo-Pacific species; in our region found from the western Gulf of California to Ecuador, the Galapagos and Cocos.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Bivalves & sea cucumbers
- Mud
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- No Data
- Parasitic
- Diet
-
- Data
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
-
- West + East Pacific (but not Central)
- All species
- TEP non-endemic
- Indo-Pacific only (Indian + Pacific Oceans)
- "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific)
- Regional Endemism
-
- Eastern Pacific non-endemic
- Continent + Island (s)
- Continent
- Island (s)
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Not evaluated / Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 15
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 30
