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Silver pearlfish

Encheliophis homei

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth1–13 m
  • Water temperature24–30 °C
  • Best monthsMay, July, and August
  • How commonRare
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About this species

The silver pearlfish, Encheliophis homei, is a species of eel-like fish in the family Carapidae. This pearlfish lives inside the coelom of sea cucumbers such as Bohadschia argus, Thelenota ananas , and Stichopus chloronotus. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Silver pearlfish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 2 records
  • February: 1 records
  • March: 3 records
  • April: 1 records
  • May: 8 records
  • June: 1 records
  • July: 10 records
  • August: 6 records
  • September: 3 records
  • October: 6 records
  • November: 3 records
  • December: 0 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 1–13 m · Deepest record: 42.7 m

  • 0–10 m: 12 records
  • 10–20 m: 2 records
  • 20–30 m: 0 records
  • 30–40 m: 0 records
  • 40–50 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C

  • 22–24 °C: 1 records
  • 24–26 °C: 8 records
  • 26–28 °C: 26 records
  • 28–30 °C: 48 records

Names and classification

English
Silver pearlfish, silver pearlfish, Silvery Pearlfish
Names in 3 more languages
French
Aurin argenté
Japanese
Tenaga-kakureuo, Tenagakakureuo, テナガカクレウオ
Simplified Chinese
荷姆氏細隱魚, 荷姆氏隱魚, 長胸細潛魚, 长胸细潜鱼, 隱魚

Other scientific names: Carapus homei, Carapus neglectus, Echeliophis homei, Fierasfer affinis, Fierasfer brandesu, Fierasfer homei, Fierasfer neglectum, Oxybeles brandesii, Oxybeles homei, Oxybelus brandesii

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 184 open-data records from 1844 to 2014.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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