Pyramodon ventralis
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 Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
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| Pyramodon ventralis Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 |
Pyramodon ventralis is a pearlfish of the family Carapidae, found in the Indo-western Pacific oceans at depths of between 100 and 400 m. Its length is between 25 and 30 cm.
Pyramodon ventralis is similar in shape to the rattails with a long tapering eel-like body ending in a pointed tail. Both the dorsal and anal fins start about a quarter of the body length from the snout and end at the fused pointed tail fin. The pectoral fins are large and paddle-shaped, but the pelvic fins are reduced to a singe short filament.
Pyramodon ventralis is scaleless and, very unusually, has three lateral lines, as well as a scattering of other sensory pores on the body. The eyes are large and set well forward. The wide mouth contains large canine teeth along the front of each jaw, and a large single vomerine fang.
[edit] References
- "Pyramodon ventralis". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. February 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
