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Toothed pearlfish (Echiodon dentatus) — Carapidae

Toothed pearlfish

Echiodon dentatus
Family: Carapidae
NE · Not Evaluated

The Toothed pearlfish (Echiodon dentatus) is a saltwater fish of the family Carapidae that grows up to 17 cm.

Length
17 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
120.0–3250.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The toothed pearlfish is a pearlfish from the Atlantic Ocean. The species grows to about 17 cm and has a slender, translucent, rearward-tapering body with sharp teeth and no pelvic fins. Some pearlfishes live as lodgers inside sea cucumbers or shellfish, but this species lives largely free in the deep sea. It occurs over a wide depth range, from about 120 to more than 3000 metres, and hunts small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans. The IUCN has not evaluated the species.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Toothed pearlfish?

The Toothed pearlfish has a snake-like body, is mainly white and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Toothed pearlfish live?

The Toothed pearlfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Toothed pearlfish get?

The Toothed pearlfish grows to a maximum of about 17 cm.

Is the Toothed pearlfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Toothed pearlfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Toothed pearlfish edible?

The Toothed pearlfish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Getande parelvis verified
English name
Toothed pearlfish verified
Scientific name
Echiodon dentatus
Family
Carapidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
17.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
White inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
120.0 verified
Max depth (m)
3250.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Echiodon

More from the family Carapidae

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