Pinhead Pearlfish, Encheliophis boraborensis (Kaup 1856)

A Pinhead Pearlfish, Encheliophis boraborensis, at Kaltim, Indonesia - night dive. Source: orangkucing / http://orangkucing.tumblr.com/. License: CC BY Attribution-ShareAlike

Summary:

A small reddish-brown eel-like fish covered in fine dark speckles. The Pinhead Pearlfish lives within holothurians, and emerges through the cloacal opening of the sea cucumber at night.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Encheliophis boraborensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 21 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/2873

Pinhead Pearlfish, Encheliophis boraborensis (Kaup 1856)

More Info

Distribution	Northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the Indo-west-central Pacific: South and East Africa, to the Society Islands, French Polynesia, north to Taiwan and Japan. Inhabits coral reefs, where the species is commensal with sea cucumbers, including Thelenota ananas and Bohadschia argus.
Features	Dorsal fin 31-42; Anal fin 45-57; Vertebrae 119-126. Body eel-like, moderate to shallow in depth, thick and robust; maxilla free and movable; cardiform teeth present; branchiostegal membranes partly or completely united; swim bladder with thin terminal membrane or bulb; lacking enlarged dentary or premaxillary fangs. Pectoral fins small, less than 29% head length.
Feeding	Feeds on shrimps and small fishes.
Remarks	Pinhead Pearlfish live inside holothurians, and are commensal, using their holothurian host as a shelter.
Etymology	The species is named for the type locality: Bora Bora Island [French Polynesia].
Species Citation	Fierasfer boraborensis Kaup 1856, Archiv für Naturgeschichte 22: 99. Type locality: Bora Bora Island [Society Islands, French Polynesia].
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Pinhead Pearlfish, Encheliophis boraborensis (Kaup 1856)

References

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Arnold, D.C. 1956. A systematic revision of the fishes of the teleost family Carapidae (Percomorphi, Blennioidea), with descriptions of two new species. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Historical Series 4(6): 245-307 figs 1-20 (as Carapus boraborensis and C. parvipinnis)

Ho, H. 2020. Encheliophis boraborensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T135444494A137454731. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T135444494A137454731.en. Accessed on 16 December 2024.

Kaup, J.J. 1856. Einiges über die unterfamilie Ophidinae. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 22: 93-100 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13700614#page/101/mode/1up

Kaup, J.J. 1856. Catalogue of Apodal Fish in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum 163 pp. 19 pls. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12189820#page/13/mode/1up

Lagardère, J.P., Millot, S. & Parmentier, E. 2005. Aspects of sound communication in the pearlfish Carapus boraborensis and Carapus homei (Carapidae). Journal of Experimental Zoology 303A: 1066-1074. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.a.230

Markle, D.F. & Olney, J.E. 1990. Systematics of the pearlfishes (Pisces: Carapidae). Bulletin of Marine Science 47(2): 269-410

Nielsen, J.G., Cohen, D.M., Markle, D.F. & Robins, C.R. 1999. Ophidiiform Fishes of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 18. 178 pp.

Nielsen. J.G. 1999. Families Carapidae, Ophidiidae, Bythitidae, Aphionidae. pp. 1978-1985 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Olney, J.E. & Markle, D.F. 1986. Family No. 97: Carapidae. pp. 350-354 in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.

Parmentier, E., Castillo, G., Chardon, M. & Vandewalle, P. 2000. Phylogenetic analysis of the pearlfish tribe Carapini (Pisces: Carapidae). Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 81: 293-306 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1463-6395.2000.00059.x (as Carapus boraborensis)

Parmentier, E., Lagardère, F. & Vandewalle, P.. 2002. Relationships between inner ear and sagitta growth during ontogenesis of three Carapini species, and consequences of life-history events on the otolith microstructure. Marine Biology 141: 491-501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-002-0853-2

Parmentier, E. & Vandewalle, P. 2006. Further insight on carapid—holothuroid relationships. Marine Biology 146(2006): 455-465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1467-7

Parmentier, E., P. Vandewalle and J.P. Lagardère, 2003. Sound-producing mechanisms and recordings in Carapini species (Teleostei, Pisces). Journal of Comparative Physiology A 189: 283-292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-003-0401-7