Hawaiian Coral Croucher

Family	Carapidae
Description	Pearlfishes
Environment	Marine
Etymology	Greek kara ("head") and apous ("without foot", pelvic fin, which is thoracic in position, if present)
Genus	8
No. of Species	36
Order	Ophidiiformes
Class	Actinopterygii
Reproductive Guild	Nonguarders
Distribution	Tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Dorsal fin rays shorter than opposite anal rays. Anus of adults and origin of anal fin located behind head and usually under pectoral fin, under vertebrae 1 - 13. Translucent eel-like fishes without scales. Wide gill openings, reaching far forward. Vomerine, palatine and jaw teeth present. No opercular spines. Branchiostegal rays 6-7. No supramaxillary. Vertebrae about 85-145. Vexillum present in larvae. Eggs are pelagic, oval, and slightly over 1 mm in the longest dimension (Ref. 240). Pearlfishes are free-living (Echiodon), commensal (Carapus, Onuxodon), or parasitic (Encheliophis, = Jordanicus), living in association with shallow-water invertebrate hosts (holothurians, bivalves, starfishes), largely in coral-dominated communities. Family members occur in shelf and slope waters of 0-2,000 m depth and range from about 65°N to 60°S.