Carapidae - Reflexions

Carapidae

The pearlfishes are a highly specialised family of shallow- to moderately deep-dwelling fishes which occur in marine shelf and slope waters and which are most abundant and diverse in tropical seas. Although some species (e.g. Snyderidia, Pyramodon and Eurypleuron spp.) are free-living, the majority of the group (Onuxodon, Carapus, Encheliophis) is found in association with invertebrate hosts such as bivalves, asteroids, holothuroids or ascisdians. These pearlfish species are able to live inside their host: certain species (Encheliophis) appear to be parasitic, feeding on the internal tissues of their holothurian hosts, while others (Carapus, Onuxodon) are considered commensal because their diet is not composed of host tissues.