Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) >
Carapidae (Pearlfishes) > Pyramodontinae
Etymology: Pyramodon: Greek, pyramis = pyramid + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Smith & Radcliffe.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 184 - 470 m (Ref. 58302). Deep-water; 35°N -
Indo-West Pacific: Japan, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand (Ref. 559) and New Caledonia (Ref. 31524).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 18.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6347)
Eel-like, moderate to relatively deep body depth; a large single vomerine fang; pelvic fin rays present; swim bladder large, filling visceral cavity and extending past anus; dorsal and anal fin radials robust and elongate; dorsal fin anteriad or directly over anal fin origin; lacking rockerbone, cardiform teeth, and intrinsic swim bladder constrictions or tunic ridges (Ref. 34024). Body lightly pigmented with dorsal and anal fin margins pigmented over posterior quarter; precaudal vertebrae 14-15; anus anterior, distance from snout to anus 99 to 133% head length (Ref. 34024).
Found on the continental slope (Ref. 75154). Free-living and benthic or pelagic (Ref. 58302). Uncommon species (Ref. 34024).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
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: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 10.9 - 18.6, mean 13.3 °C (based on 170 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).