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Encheliophis vermicularis Müller, 1842

Worm pearlfish
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Encheliophis vermicularis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Encheliophis vermicularis (Worm pearlfish)
Encheliophis vermicularis
Picture by Murdy, E.O./Ferraris, C.J., Jr.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) > Carapidae (Pearlfishes) > Carapinae
Etymology: Encheliophis: Greek, enchelys, = eel + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 1 m (Ref. 58018). Tropical; 30°N - 28°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Gulf of Aden to the Philippines and the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyus. Range extends to the eastern Pacific.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 90102)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 19 - 27; Anal soft rays: 36 - 43. Eel-like, moderate to shallow body depth; maxilla adnate or nearly so; cardiform teeth present; branchiostegal membranes partly or completely united; swim bladder with thin terminal membrane or bulb; lacking enlarged dentary or premaxillary fangs, dentary diastema, pelvic fins, and swim bladder rocker bone (Ref. 34024). Lacks externally visible pectoral fins (Ref. 51068).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A benthic species which occurs in inshore waters and inhabits coral reefs (Ref. 75154). Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Holothurian parasite with male-female pairs in each host (Ref. 34024, 75154). Associated with holothurians including Holothuria leucospilota, H.scabra, H.lubrica, and Thelenota ananas (Ref 90102).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Nielsen, J.G., D.M. Cohen, D.F. Markle and C.R. Robins, 1999. Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(18):178p. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 34024)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 15 August 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
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Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
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Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
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Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
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Distribution
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
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Physiology
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Swimming type
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Visual pigment(s)
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Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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References

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.9 - 29.3, mean 28.4 °C (based on 2331 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5078   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00102 (0.00046 - 0.00225), b=3.06 (2.88 - 3.24), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.3   ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (10 of 100).