Eurypleuron owasianum (Matsubara, 1953)
Eel pearlfish
Eurypleuron owasianum
photo by SFSA

Family:  Carapidae (Pearlfishes), subfamily: Pyramodontinae
Max. size:  23.6 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 1 - 455 m
Distribution:  Northwest Pacific: Japan. Pending a comprehensive study of the group, E. owasianum is restricted to Japan and tentatively refer all of the disjunct southern populations to E. cinereum, the only species name available for the complex.
Diagnosis:  Eel-like, shallow body depth; dorsal fin origin about opposite anal fin origin; males with expanded parapophyses on vertebrae 5 to 18-20; lacking cardiform premaxillary teeth, pelvic fins, swim bladder rocker bone, and ventral tunic ridges on posterior swim bladder (Ref. 34024).
Biology:  Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Presumably free-living (Ref. 34024).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 15 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.